Vitriol
by Christopher Spielberg
Summary: Emilia and Felix were transported to London, 2020. They meet William Cage, but were all sent to a landing operation against the Mimics. But when Cage is killed and Emilia was incubated by a strange symbiotic mass, they become stuck in a time loop. But for Emilia, she becomes bound to an alien symbiote, as they join Cage on a mission to destroy the Omega. In RealD 3D and IMAX.
1. Cage and Emilia

**A/N: The first entry of a planned anime/live-action crossover multiverse, nicknamed** **The Ancient Multiverse of Mystic Characters. This franchise is adjunct to the main Mystic Cinematic Universe, both based on Marvel films as inspirations. (I DON'T OWN ANYTHING, except my inspirational idea)**

 **Takes place in Edge of Tomorrow, with two characters from Re:Zero, and a few OC characters (one who is similar to Venom). This story would be striking similar to Venom, but I DON'T OWN, only as an inspiration. I also imagined this story myself to be in RealD 3D or IMAX 2D/3D. I was going to make a specially IMAX formatted M-rated version of the story (due to blood and gore), but I prefer this version to be rated T due to some coarse language.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Warner Bros. Pictures  
Village Roadshow Pictures**  
 **RatPac**  
 **White Fox Animation**  
 **In Association with Mystic Studios**

 **...**

 **Warner Bros. Pictures presents...  
A Mystic Studios fanfic production...**

Emilia's eyes slightly open, with Ferris laying down on her.

It turns out they were inside a helicopter with a general named William Cage, on route to the United Defense Force building in London.

"Where am we?", Emilia muttered.

The last thing Emilia remembered was that she was sleeping with her boyfriend Ferris the last night, and the next morning they ended up on the helicopter, in another dimension.

While Ferris woke up, Emilia watched a broadcast of the news on the helicopter's broadcast screen. She was new to the technological things in the modern future reality, like how her friend Subaru orginated back in their dimension.

Emilia was horrified when learning there was an alien invasion force had been discovered several years prior from fallen meteors, called the Mimics. The invasion zone consumed areas like the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Poland and France. News like Mimics breaching Paris barricades, terror alerts and new military plans on the fifth anniversary of the invasion with Wolf Blitzer had shocked Emilia as the broadcast make a reflection in her eyes. Then, the broadcast said there was a historical event called the Victory of Verdun with a new strategy following after it.

That's when they saw William Cage on the broadcast, the general who is inside the helicopter with Emilia and Ferris, telling the news host about the new jacket exosuit technology, exampling Rita Vrataski who is named the Angel of Verdun from the victorious battle. The campaign had thousands lined up to enlist in the battle. An ad was shown with Rita Vrataski front and center with the UDF logo, as text says **United Defense Force - Without You There Is No Tomorrow**.

Emilia and Ferris continue watching the broadcasts on the screen as it shows Operation Downfall with millions of troops mobilizing, and William Cage adds one last note that they will be victorious in the operation, because they fight, and that's what they do.

After watching the broadcast, Ferris asks his girlfriend, "Emilia...where are we?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure. But it looks like we're about to find out.", Emilia told him, as the helicopter was shown flying across London.

While the two were in the helicopter with William Cage, one of the guards open the door which wakes up Cage.

"Before you say anything, name's Emilia. This is my friend Ferris."

Cage hesitated when waking up, "Name's William Cage. I'm a major, media relations department. Didn't see you two coming."

"Oh. You see, we're from another...place. The last thing we know, we were in our bedroom, and now we're here in this helicopter when we woke up. Any ideas where it's headed?", Emilia asked.

The major told her, "Well, it's the year 2020 and this helicopter is heading to the UDF building in London.", as they saw the Big Ben tower.

"Never been here or there before. I just saw you on broadcast.", Emilia noticed, "Didn't notice you until now."

William raised an eyebrow, "Okay. What are you two doing here then, since you're with me? This is military privileges only."

"Let's see...I don't know what happened to us teleporting here, but I guess I am...a reporter. My friend taught me that.", Emilia thought, "My friend's like a doctor?"

Ferris gasped, "No, I'm not."

"Ignore Ferris, he knows his stuff.", apologized the half-elf.

Cage confused, "Wait...your friend's a he? He looks like a girl though."

"Yeah. My name is also Felix. I'm a boy.", he chuckled nervously, "I'm hers."

Emilia made up, "I report things like missing people, protests, networks, news, all sorts. Heard about the new operation too, but it's too risky, you know? I bet that sounds great for you to be a general, right?"

"Right you are.", Cage chuckled.

The helicopter then makes it's way to outside of the UDF building, landing slowly towards the pad.

"Looks like we're here.", Emilia said, as she, Ferris and Cage exit the helicopter, meets up with the UDF representative, and leaves off to their destination.

* * *

 **UNITED DEFENSE FORCE HEADQUARTERS**

Escorted by car, Cage, Emilia and Ferris then entered the building.

Inside as they were waiting, an assistant comes and said, "The generals will see you now."

"Thank you.", said the three, Emilia excited, "Right on time! WHOO!", the latter clapping and raising her fists.

* * *

The three had met with the two generals once they went inside the boardroom, the first being General Brigham, and the other (an OC character) being General Specialist Maximus Onyx.

"Operation Downfall, the entire might of the UDF, invaded from France, Mediterranean, Scandinavia; relieving pressure in these two front allowing the Russians and Chinese to push the enemy back. We all meet in the middle, exterminating this Mimic scourge along the way. A lot of good soldiers willing to die tomorrow, major. When all the smoke clears and the body bags start coming home, people tend to look for someone to blame, someone like us. Ideally, I'd prefer a different scenario. Please.", General Brigham said.

Cage said, "A best-selling memoir, perhaps? Maybe- Maybe a career in politics. Off the top of my head, I would go with the sense of manifest destiny. Rags to riches, rapid rise through the ranks. Born to deliver us. And the people, well, they love that sort of thing."

"You know what I like about this view of London?", Maximus said, looking out the window, to Emilia; "It never gets old."

Emilia commented, "Yeah, that tower does look great there too, but heights...aren't actually my thing. But you see, I'm a reporter on the news, and I..."

"You misunderstand, guys.", Maximus and Brigham both said, "We didn't ask you all here to sell me. I want you guys to sell the invasion."

Cage and Emilia answer, "Okay."

"You ship out on the coast in one hour, your camera crew is standing by. You'll be on the beach with the first wave.", Brigham assigned.

Emilia questioned, "...What?"

"I'm sorry, the first wave? The beach? You mean the front?", Cage respectfully asked.

Brigham told, "France. Satellites show minimal enemy movement on the coast. Little resistance. A little something, something to tell your grandchildren."

"It doesn't sound so bad, isn't it?", Maximus proved as he shrugged, "It's a strong recommendation."

"I appreciate the confidence, generals.", Cage and Emilia said, "We do this to avoid doing that.", chuckling. The former continued, "I...I was in ROTC in college, the war broke out, I lost my advertising firm. Here I am. Now I do what I do and you...you do what you do, but we're not...soldiers. Really."

Emilia told, "And I don't know how me and Felix came here, but I was on the trip going here, and I report stuff. But not in the amidst of battle, you know?"

"No, of course you're not. That's why I'm embedding you three with several hundred thousand men and women who are.", answered Brigham to Cage and Emilia.

Maximus supported, "I don't think there's any other choice. Full circle."

"Well, it is an honor, generals. I'm afraid I may have to decline.", Cage and Emilia said, "Can't stand the sight of blood. Not so much as a paper cut.", the two chuckling to this joke with the two generals not amused; "But...yeah, sitting here thinking about this...a couple names come to mind...that I feel I could recommend it to you."

The two generals stated, "It is not an offer, guys, major. It's an order."

"So...", Emilia stated, pulling out a small notepad, "...is it true that you, Maximus Onyx, were the orchestrator for many suicide mission assignments? It's just a hunch."

Maximus told, "We're talking about the order."

"No, I'm not. I'm talking about these allegations I just found out.", Emilia said.

"Sorry? I think that doesn't-"

"It says that your entire reputation was built on dead bodies...?"

"Look..."

"It says that you recruit the most vulnerable to volunteer for the army's battles...that more often killing people?"

"Yes, I'm aware of these fake news. There's a lot of fake news out there these days.", Maximus Onyx said, aware.

Cage then said, "Generals, I'm an officer in the United States Military. My friends here are reporters who came from another state. You don't even have the authority."

"We have spoken to your CEO. You are now under my command. You will retain your present rank, of course. My secretary has all the details.", Brigham revealed.

Maximus also said, "And I'm the authority for you and your girlfriend, huh?", to Emilia and Ferris.

"Right. What about the legal cases?", Emilia said, writing down details on the notepad.

The OC general chuckles, "What?"

"Uh, the actual legal cases-"

"Enough. That's it. Time to go. Thank you so much for coming to talk to me.", Maximus said to her, as he and Brigham finished, "Do a good job, guys. Good luck, you're dismissed."

Unsure, Cage, Emilia and Felix get up from their chairs. As they slowly were going on their way, they turn to the two busy generals and the former two asked one more thing, "Generals. We just inspired millions of people to join your army. And...when the body bags come home and they're looking for someone to blame...how hard do you think it would be for us to convince people to blame you. We'd imagine that, general, would prefer to avoid that."

"Are you blackmailing me?", Brigham and Maximus accused.

Cage and Emilia replied, "We would prefer, not to be filming acts of heroism and valor on that beach tomorrow."

The two generals thought about this and got up from their chairs, and came over to the three.

"You won't be.", decided Brigham and Maximus, smiling.

Cage agreed, "We're glad we could work this out."

"Thank you so much, generals.", Emilia and Ferris thanked, as the two and Cage said, "Now, if you'll excuse me...", bumping into a chair before leaving the room with the two generals following and waiting out the door. "Thank you."

But as they were about to leave...

"Arrest these three.", Brigham ordered.

The room turned silent. Cage, Emilia and Ferris were at first confused, then the half-elf's expression turned frightened.

Maximus rose his hand to them and said, "Have a nice life.", as the two generals nodded and went back in the room.

In a moment, the three started rushing out the room, with security guards on their tail.

"We need to get out of here!", yelled Emilia, holding Felix's hand avoiding the guards with tazers.

The three continue running through the halls, avoiding the guards and passing through people...

...but a guard comes in front of them, and stops the three at their tracks.

The guard uses the tazer on them, literally shocking them. Emilia screams in pain as she, Cage and Felix lose consciousness.

As the three lie on the ground, the guards gather and the one who tazed them said, "They're down. Preparing for transport."

Then, the story title is shown with creepy Ludwig Goransson music playing.

 **VITRIOL**


	2. Railroaded

Emilia, Cage and Felix were lying down on canvas duffel bags. In a few moments, they slowly wake up, but then they realize their hands were cuffed. The camera shot slowly circles around, showing more and more of the place they are in now, which was a military base.

 **HEATHROW MILITARY BASE**

"Where...are we...?", Emilia dazed.

The sound of army soldiers marching. A bus cruises by with an advertisement of Rita Vrataski, but was vandalized saying, 'Full Metal Bitch!'.

"On your feet, maggots!", an army sergeant shouted, kicking the duffel bags and catching the three's attention.

They stood up, and Cage said, "That is no way to address an officer, sergeant."

"Even for us reporters. What's your problem for calling us a maggot?", Emilia deals.

The army sergeant said, "It's how I address a slack-jawed recruit before I bust his hole with my boot heel, maggots!", handing them their clothing.

"Hold up there, sergeant.", someone said, walking over to the three after excusing the other Sergeant, who is named Master Sergeant Farell, "Can I help you, fellas?"

Cage and Emilia confused, "Where the hell are we, sergeant?"

"Forward Operating Base Heathrow. You just came in with the fresh recruits.", Farrell said.

The officer asked, "Do I strike you as a fresh recruit?", the army sergeant hesitating on the question.

"No, sir, you do not.", he answered.

"Look, the name's Emilia. This...this general, Maximus Onyx, he has been given allegations that he sent many to suicidal mission assignments, but this guy is all-the-way bad. He wrongfully arrested us, it was only a simple favor. He needs to be arrested! By the way, this is my boyfriend Felix Argyle. We're reporters, but Felix here is a representative. Back home, I'm like the 42nd King, I am a ruler."

"My name is Major William Cage, I'm an American officer."

Farrell asked, "Officer? This is processing. There's no officers down here." He says to the other, "I got this, sergeant.", continuing; "How the hell do you guys end up in processing? What was it? Poker night? Bachelor party?"

"If it's all the same to you, sergeant...I'd like to explain that to my commanding officer in Washington. If you'll take me to a phone...", explained Cage.

Emilia resolved, "...then we would be released, if you please. Per se."

"Haven't you heard? We're T-minus Haul-Ass-H-Hour. We're fixing to invade France. This whole FOB's on lockdown. No calls, in or out.", said the master sergeant.

The two paused and presumed, "Name's Farrell?"

"That's right. Master Sergeant Farrell."

"Master Sergeant Farrell, you're American?"

"No, I'm from Kentucky.", Farrell said.

Emilia paused again, "Does that count as American? Never been there before. Believe so.", as she and Cage both said, "Okay, well...look at us. Look at where we are... We've been railroaded.", the half-elf swore, "Those shitheads must've falsified our records!", the two saying again, "It's obvious we don't belong here. So please, sergeant, there has to be a way I can make a phone call.", the sergeant having a moment to think...

"I'll get you guys sorted out.", he answered.

The two thanked, "Thank you."

"Right this way.", the sergeant said.

* * *

Cage and Emilia said, "Where you from Kentucky?"

"Little town called Science Hill. Heard of it?", the sergeant asked.

"I have now."

"Where you guys from?"

"Cranbury, New Jersey."

Emilia says, "Me and Ferris here? The Kingdom of Lugnica. We're royals."

"They grow a lot of cranberries in Cranbury?", joked Farrell.

Cage said, "Tomatoes. Best you ever had."

"Why they call it Cranberry, then?", Farrell questioned.

Cage and Emilia ask back, "Why they call it Science Hill?"

"Never asked. Don't care.", Farrell said to the two, "After you.", as they go in a tent.

Cage and Emilia thought, "You're not taking me to a phone, aren't you?"

"No, I am not. Seems about the only honest thing you said to me so far is your names. Says here you're deserters. It says here you were caught impersonating an officer and reporters. It says here...you're likely to try to make an outside call, compromising security of this operation. Anything to get out of combat duty tomorrow.", the sergeant alleged.

Emilia rejected the news, "Those...those aren't true. They're falsified, they're lies! All of it, lies! The generals are being assholes, we have to leave right now and deal with this!"

"But that's never gonna happen. Ever. Privates Cage, Emilia and Ferris.", Farrell firmly told, shrugging and saying to Emilia, "Have a nice life."


	3. J Squad Privates

The four enter the army base full of soldiers, the song Railroad Track playing on the speakers.

"Rumor is a terrible thing. Come nightfall, these men will all reach the same conclusion. That you're a coward and a liar, putting your lives among theirs. Good news is there's hope for you, privates. Hope in the form of glorious combat. Battle is the great redeemer. The fiery crucible in which only true heroes are forged. The one place where all men truly share the same rank...regardless of what kind of parasitic scum they were going in.", spoke Farrell, before whistling as they go into one of the squad rooms.

The squad members, lazing around, then quickly got up from their beds and stood up, with two of the members, Ford and Kimmel, playing cards.

"Squad! This here is Privates Cage, Emilia and Ferris. Privates, J-Squad.", introduced Farrell.

Griff, a member of the J-Squad asked Cage, "Isn't that an officer's uniform? Though sure ain't officer cufflinks?"

"We have cufflinks too.", Emilia and Ferris sarcastically said, "Hello!"

Farrell presumes, "Oh, I see! Everyone is having a productive morning! You know, it gives me a swell of pride knowing soldiers of your...caliber will be leading the charge tomorrow. Tip of the spear. Edge of the knife.", before seeing something hidden under the bed sheet, "Crackin' my ass.", pulling off the sheet showing playing cards, "Private Kimmel, what is my view of gambling in the barracks?"

"You dislike it, Sergeant Farrell.", Kimmel says.

Farrell then asked, "Nance, why do I dislike it?"

"It entertains the notion our fate is in hands other than our own.", Nance said, taking a card.

The master sergeant queries next, "And what is my definitive position on the concept of fate, chorus?"

"Through readiness and discipline, we are masters of our fate.", J Squad all said, as they put the cards they took from the deck on their mouth and tore half of it, eating it.

Emilia and Ferris gagged, "Why?"

"You guys might call that notion ironic. But trust me, you'll all come around.", said Farrell, uncuffing Cage, Emilia and Ferris, "These privates here are deserters. I'm making you all personally responsible for their deliverance. They will be combat-ready at oh-six-honey tomorrow."

Cage and Emilia asked, "Combat ready?"

"They are under the delusion they do not belong here. We must dissuade them of this delusion. If they try to run, feel free to dissuade them until they can't piss standing up.", instructed the sergeant.

Cage and Emilia both told, "You have to listen to us, we will never be combat ready-"

"I envy you guys.", Farrell handed them their army clothes, "Tomorrow morning, y'all will be baptized. Born again. Cage, you and Ferris will be staying here with J Squad for the night.", leaving, "P.T! Ten minutes!"

The half-elf questioned, "Wait. Then where will I be staying then? Is there still enough room, or-"

"Actually, there is a place for you here available.", Nance said, coming over.

The girl said, "Really? Could you help me find it?"

* * *

Nance led Emilia to the available room later on that day after P.T training, opening the metallic door and turning on the light.

The room itself was crappy. There was only a small window, the walls were like a jail cell, the bed was stone, with no blanket and only a pillow, and there was only a fridge, sink, toilet, and mirror in the same room.

"Isn't this room too...", Emilia disappointed worringly, "...bad?"

Nance told her, "...it was originally a solitary confinement room. There's no other choice."

"Look, can I at least just sleep with my boyfriend Felix-", said the princess, requesting.

The J Squad member said, "I'm sorry, but that's the least I can do about it.", telling her, "Go. Have a nice life.", closing the metal door behind Emilia.

Emilia couldn't believe how much harder it was going to be ever since she and Felix were mysteriously transported to London. They didn't do anything wrong. They were trying to avert the incoming invasion of France along with Cage, but the two generals had ruined their chances. Now, since their records were falsified and they were enlisted for the upcoming landing operation, she felt like they're in prison. But she knew that she can't fix everything in the invasion with just magic or bullets.

She then sits on the hard uncomfy bed, while she was thinking about Lugnica. She does miss a lot of people back home, like Ram and Rem, her familiar spirit Pack, and most of all her best friend Subaru, who had been going out with Rem.

Looking for something in the fridge, the only foods there were fruits, bottled water, soup and frozen foods, some of which are expired.

She then hears a recording of Eckhart Tolle playing in the intercom. Emilia removes her boots and outfit, leaving her barefoot. As the recording plays, she proceeds to lay down on the hard bed and her head on the sole pillow. At least with the peaceful spiritual teachings on the radio, it seems that she still has hope.

But the recording was ruined when she hears trucks and army soldiers making noise outside.

Emilia gets up and looks out the window for the noise. She was about to get fed up. She was on the brink of losing her temper due to everything happening to her, Cage and Ferris. She went back on the bed to calm herself using the only pillow to help mask the sounds, but only to minimal treatment.

She thinks to herself, _'How did we end up like this?'_.

* * *

The next day after a horrible day for Cage, Emilia and Ferris, they were getting ready for the landing operation, everyone (excluding Emilia and Ferris with Farrell's permission, because they use magic) suiting up.

"It's a new day, people. Destiny calls. The world expects only one thing from us...that we will win.", Farrell told everyone, suiting up.

Emilia talked to Ferris at the time when they were with Cage, "That room they assigned me to was awful. I couldn't stand the noise last night. And the bed was so uncomfortable. Good thing Farrell allowed us to not wear the battle suits the soldiers are using, because we use ice and water magic."

"Come on, Kimmel! Let's have it!", Skinner said.

Nance groans, "Oh, for christ's sake, Kimmel."

"I got to be free, man.", the J Squad member apologized.

Griff says as he was helping suit up Cage, "Let's get this show on the road, I gotta suit up."

"What's that noise?", Cage and Emilia ask, before saying, "Never mind. Listen, I've never been in one of these."

The J Squad member joked, "I've never been with two girls at the same time. You can bet when that day comes, I'll make it work."

"Kimmel?"

"It's Griff, guys."

Cage responded, "Griff. Griff. You bet. Just think about this, I could hurt somebody with it."

"Not with the safety on, you won't.", Griff told him, as he leaves to get ready.

Both heroes then said, "Where is the safety?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a random soldier, suited up for battle, walks into a dark room with a figure doing yoga.

He comes over and says to the figure, "It's time."

Shortly after, the figure puts on the battle suit, cocks the gun, and grabs a big militarial sword.

Minutes later, the figure is marching out into the light through a darkened hall. Soldiers assisting the figure were wearing skull-painted helmets.

"Bloody hell! It's the Full Metal-", a person said once the figure and the soldiers come out into the light, before the figure punches him in the abdomen knocking him out.

* * *

With Cage, Emilia and Ferris (the latter two not having battle suits whom they considered using magic), Farrell talked to Griff, "Griff?"

"Yeah, Sarge?", the J Squad member asked the sergeant.

"Take care of those privates."

"What, all day?"

"Something tells me it won't be nearly that long.", the sergeant doubted.

While everyone was still marching towards the heliplanes, soldiers were being set and positioned on the heliplanes.

Emilia groans, "This isn't going to be good...", before she, Ferris and Cage see the heliplane they're going to, "Well, case disclosed; we're getting out of here!"

The three tried to run away from the lineup, but two of the J Squad members call to them and came over, bringing them back to the lineup despite Emilia and Ferris' refusal remarks.

Once everybody was set and ready five minutes later, hundreds of helicopters and heliplanes take off and set course to the France beach for battle...


	4. Drop or Die

**A/N: This is by far one of the most intense chapters of the story. (why Emilia and Ferris don't wear the suits is because; one, they don't fit; and two, they have magic; I beg to differ, but they'll be okay for combat)**

"We lost France, we lost Germany! If we lose today, we don't get to fight another!", Farrell said, as the armada of heliplanes and copters were travelling to the battlefield. I know the pressure on you is enormous. Two minutes to drop. It's all right to be be scared. Remember, there's no courage without fear."

One of the soldiers said, "Aye! Aye, mate! I think there's something wrong with his suit. And why isn't those girls wearing the battle suits?"

"We have magic! Don't worry, we won't die from falling...at least.", gulped Emilia.

Skinner, a J Squad member, said, "Hey! There's dead guys in it!", the others making fun.

"Hey, watch your back out there...guys.", Ford, another J Squad member, told Cage and Emilia.

Nance muttered, "No one else will.", everyone but Cage and Emilia laughing. For Felix, however, he resisted a slight giggle, not bursting into laughter.

"Sorry.", Ferris apologized, the neko's ears flickering.

Emilia said, "That's okay."

"One minute! One minute to drop!", the sergeant yelled.

Cage tries testing the weapons system, but it was disabled due to the safety turned on.

"Hey. Hey?", Cage and Emilia say to Kimmel, the former asking, "How do I turn the safety off of my weapon?", but the alarms started sounding by the time he finishes his sentence.

Kimmel asked, "What?"

"How do I turn the safety-", Cage and Emilia yelled through the loud noise, before they see the hatch doors below them open. The former exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

Emilia freaked out, "I'm definitely afraid of HEIGHTS!", the hatchdoors showing the sea as they almost approach the beach.

"Get ready! Thirty seconds to drop! On my mark! Stand by to deploy! Activate drop lines!", Sergeant Farrell instructs, "Remember-"

 **BOOOOOOM!**

Behind Farrell, the left side of the heliplane explodes, frightening Cage, Emilia and Ferris.

They have never been behind enemy lines or in the line of warfare before, but they knew that the war they're going through is gonna be a living hell.

"Drop! Drop!", Farrell struggled, as he release some of the soldiers' landing mechanisms as they drop, yelling at Cage, Emilia and Ferris, "DROP! LET'S GO!", as he releases more of the squad recruits, "Y'ALL, LET'S GO!"

At one point, three of the recruits release at the same time, and Muntz, the last notable-known member of J Squad, released too early and got hit by an explosive blast, killing him.

"CAGE! GIRLS! **DROP OR DIE!** ", shouted Farrell as the last remaining other soldiers dropped, dropping after releasing his mechanism.

With Cage, Emilia and Ferris being the last ones in the heliplane, they witness the left walls being torn apart as it was going down, reaching to the edge of the left side.

Scared that they might die at this very moment, the three release their landing mechanism. They fall, screaming as the camera shot follows. Countless ships and air vehicles arrive to the battle while many alien blasts shoot across the scene.

The invasion was hellbent. Emilia and Ferris have never been to a war behind the lines before.

The cables retract with the continuous camera shot shows Emilia, Ferris and Cage still in mid-air, circling around with two mid-air soldiers colliding and many fiery blasts flying through the skyline, they spun around as the heliplane above them was being shot down by the energy blasts. Once they had the right altitude to land, the cables snap and the three fall, the camera shot ending.

Their fall was broken by the watery shore. As the three slowly got up, an energy blast flew past them and many soldiers were charging into battle. Explosions, airships and soldiers were everywhere.

They all were running across the shore, before Cage, Emilia and Ferris see Kimmel, cheering.

"OH GOD, WE MADE IT! OH GOD, WE MADE IT!", Kimmel cheers on while the heroes watch, "YEAAA-"

 **BOOOM!** A heliplane suddenly crushes Kimmel!

The three were blown back by the fallen heliplane. A wave of sand was splashed onto them.

"What the hell is going on?!", exclaims Emilia, as the three got up quickly.

They slowly advance into the chaotic battlefield...


	5. The Chaotic Battlefield

**A/N: By the end of this chapter, not only it takes a turn for the storyline, but also connects EVERY installment in the Ancient Multiverse of Mystic Characters continuity from this story forward.**

The invasion was continuing. Hell was breaking loose.

Cage, Emilia and Ferris were walking across the battlefield as they saw soldiers advancing more, a few getting hit by energy blasts. They see one soldier being electrocuted by his malfunctioning battle exosuit.

"Come on, come on, come on!", Emilia hoped, as she helped Cage with the weapons system, when it says to choose the language.

Another soldier uses an RPG hooked to his exosuit, blasting a rocket to the enemy lines, but the enemies retaliate by using another energy blast back at him while Cage, Emilia and Ferris walk past.

With another soldier on fire and a faltering heliplane coming down with the soldiers released, the three notice soldiers running away from something as they turned around, seeing a heliplane circling down towards them.

"HIT THE DEEEEECK!", the half-elf shrieked, holding onto Felix's hand as Cage and the two girls quickly go into a sand trench before the heliplane breaks apart and nearly hits them.

They succeed and more sand land on them. The heliplane slows down and stops on the battlefield.

Felix said in fear, "I-i-is it over?"

"I don't think so...", the princess thought so.

The heliplane that landed, had the same skull-painted-helmet-wearing soldiers from earlier.

Then the mysterious figure finally comes out with a militarial sword in-hand. The helmet Cage wore was breaking up the signal, roaring frequency, as he takes it off.

"Who...is that?", Emilia questioned, as the three saw someone in the mist.

The figure was fighting a Mimic in the mist, slashing her sword at the enemy. The three heroes look on as it reveals to be Rita Vrataski!

She then sees the same Mimic then slaughtering some of her associative soldiers. Rita was running after it but the Mimic suddenly strikes her down. Her explosive system turns on, aiming at the Mimic, as it then shoots it before the alien can get to her, exploding.

"Okay, let's get up now! Maybe he'll help...", Emilia told Cage as she and Ferris got up, preparing to help him up before the three saw someone familiar, "...us."

Rita walks over with sword in-hand, seeing the three heroes looking at her.

"You're...the Angel of Verdun...you're Rita Vrataski!", amazed Emilia.

But it was short-lived.

 **BOOOM!**

An energy blast flew and hit behind her, killing her!

"AAAUGH!", Emilia and Ferris screams, Rita's corpse landing near the three, her sword landing and almost hitting Ferris.

Cage almost swore, "WHAT THE-", as he finally got up.

Emilia puts her hands on her mouth as she sees the dead Rita on the ground. Almost at the brink of crying, she then gains courage, grabbing Rita's militarial sword and holding it like a knight...

...before she throws it away and runs back with Cage and Ferris, "WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE!"

The invasion was endlessly going on as countless soldiers, ships, heliplanes, helicopters and jets were attempting to advance.

Cage, Emilia and Ferris were trying to escape back to the shore, but they accidentally run into Sergeant Farrell.

"Privates! You're going the right way! You're gonna miss your moment!", Farrell said.

Emilia panics, "But we saw the Angel of Verdun, and she-"

"There's no time to talk about that, we gotta go!", the sergeant ignored, guiding the three to the J Squad again.

* * *

The remaining members of J Squad were waiting in a trench while Griff said to himself, "What the hell...they're not supposed to even know we're coming."

"It's a slaughterhouse, man! It's a slaughterhouse!", Ford called out to his friends.

Cage, Emilia and Felix reach the J Squad as one of the members told, "Pull yourselves together, Ford!"

"On your feet, people! Get in line! Nance, give me a scenic route.", ordered Farrell.

William tried to tell him, "My safety!"

"Griff!"

"My safety! My safety.", Cage tried to tell Griff or Ford.

Emilia said, "How does he get the safety-", but was ignored by the squad members.

"I'm waiting, Nance!", Farrell impatiently says to Nance.

The female squad member yelled, "I've got 26! 500 meters and they're coming in fast!"

"Some bitch.", berates Farrell to himself. Cage, Emilia and Ferris were about to ask the sergeant again, but a J Squad member bumped them to the ground. He then said, "Look alive if you wanna stay that way! Fire in position! Move!"

Emilia grunted, "Why won't this stupid mechanism turn on?! I know my friend is from Japan, but this...I'm not even fluent in Japanese!"

"Here they come. Lean as hell and thick as grass. Wait till they're right on us!", Farrell prepared, seeing the incoming enemies hundreds of meters away.

Just as Emilia and Cage was still helping fix the safety, the two then notice something rising from the sand in the middle of the trench!

A Mimic!

"HEY! Hey!", shouted Emilia, Cage and Ferris, the half-elf adding, "Watch your back!"

It was too late.

When the J Squad members looked back and tried to attack, the Mimic finally rose completely and makes it's move.

 **Author's Note: I was going to have M-rated violence in this part, but I wanted to maintain a T rating.**

Tthe Mimic first threw Farrell away, pin Nance, and kills another J Squad member. Farrell lands where Griff and Ford is, dead. Griff and Ford see this, alerted.

Emilia uses her Ice Magic Brand Arts to try killing the Mimic, with ice turning into weapons. They impale the Mimic, but the alien shattered the ice shards.

The Mimic continues slaughtering the J Squad members, throwing soldiers around like ragdolls, killing them.

Emilia and Felix attempt to use Ice and Water magic again on the Mimic to freeze or kill it, but to no avail.

"Why isn't our powers working against these things!?", worried Emilia, backing up with Felix and Cage, also allowing Ford and Griff to advance.

The Mimic then gets up on top of the trench and impales Nance back, killing her. The three heroes could do nothing but watch the J Squad members die and help fix the weapons system. The alien then slams Kuntz around, killing him.

Griff and Ford try fighting back with bullets from their exosuit, but the Mimic then comes forward after a moment and impales Griff. It then grabs Ford and throws him away, killing him.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!", said Emilia, intensely as they try to fix the weapon system's flaw.

After a few cautions from the system, they finally got it working, shooting a few bullets on the sand for example!

The half-elf smiled, "Yes! Yes, yes!", before Cage proceeds to fight back, using the exosuit's bullets to shoot it, but with imprecise aim.

He backs up and stumbles to the ground, with the Mimic coming to the front.

About to strike at the heroes, Emilia furiously yells and uses her Ice Magic power Icicle Line, using shards of ice to surround the Mimic, turning into spears as it impales the alien, finishing it.

Emilia and Ferris smiled while Cage laughed, thinking he killed the only Mimic.

But it wasn't over.

All of a sudden, two more Mimics started to emerge from the sand.

"You gotta be kidding me!", Emilia groans, protecting Ferris and standing in front of Cage, preparing to use her Ice Magic again. Just before the two Mimics fully emerge and were about to strike...

...a strange midnight-blue symbiotic mass emerges as well, and instead of aiming to kill the three, it attaches onto a Mimic and sinks inside it's obsidian body.

The alien screeched in pain, causing the other Mimic to look. It's main body breaks, and it's life ended as its orange hue dies.

"What is that thing? What did it do to that Mimic?", Emilia uneased.

The symbiotic mass exits the Mimic through it's mouth, the other screeching at it preparing to attack. The mass suddenly went inside its mouth and the Mimic roared in pain, every bone in its body breaking and its corpse froze, dead.

Emilia protected, "Stand back.", Felix running off a few meters, passing Emilia and Cage, and hiding behind a barrier of sand.

The dark substance comes out of the second Mimic, and stops. Emilia stood in front of it, preparing to attack. The mass then jumped towards her!

The princess blocks the mass with an ice shield using her magic. The substance tried to go around but goes back to the middle. It then uses pressure on the shield, causing cracks on the ice shield!

"COME ON!", Emilia yelled, trying to hold the substance mass back.

More and more cracks appear on the shield, the mass about to break it. The shield shatters! Emilia gasps.

Then the substance hits Emilia's body and blows her back across. Emilia lies on the ground, unconscious. The mass sinking inside her.

"EMMY!", Felix screamed, coming over to his beloved girlfriend.

But the three then heard something coming.

It was, in fact, a bigger Mimic than they ever saw. It was blue instead of orange, was bigger than the Mimics, and its tentacles was more liquid than obsidian. It was an Alpha.

Cage was about to use the exosuit's bullets to kill the Alpha, but it was disabled. He was out of bullets. The soldier then sees a weapon beside him, a claymore mine, which read; _Front Toward Enemy_.

With Emilia, Felix cried and held onto Emilia's hand, "You'll be okay, my love...you're going to be alright."

The half-elf slowly woke up and drowsily said, "W-what?"

"I'm so glad you made it...", the androgynous boy said.

She mumbled, "W're is Cage?"

"He's still there. Listen, we have to get out of here. There's only a matter of-", Ferris warned.

Suddenly, a Mimic impaled Ferris through the chest!

"F...Ferris!", Emilia's eyes widen, her boyfriend screaming in pain.

A couple more Mimics appear by the Alpha far from Cage. The Alpha and the Mimics notice Cage lying and still alive, the aliens making a signal.

With Cage and the Alpha exchanging looks, the Alpha prepares its spikes to kill Cage.

The Alpha rushes forward, Cage grabs the mine, and by the time it reaches him, he activates it!

 **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

The Mimics around the three, including the one impaling Ferris, die immediately. Ferris lands face down on the ground.

The Alpha's remains splattered everywhere in Cage's area. Its blood rained on Cage, the latter only gasping in fear, pain and agony for a millisecond. His eyes turned entirely black in seconds as the blood and a few remains landed on his face, his body, his mouth and his wounds, even burning a part of his face and making a slight sizzling noise. Horrifyingly, he dies.

Emilia looks down and sees in horror at what had happened to Cage, muttering, "No..."

That was when everything started to change.

Emilia's face had a dimmed image of a midnight-blue face with sharp teeth every few seconds. She felt painful convulsions and started screaming from the extreme pain she was experiencing. She shook violently.

"Emmy...", Felix weakly said, "...No..."

The half-elf continued gasping in pain and terror, shaking violently and the image of the strange face appearing. Black-blue veins crawled up from the side of her face and a few to her eyes.

As the continuum of reality was seeming to break for Emilia, she sees visions, which are foreshadows of adventures in the universe.

A group of female warriors teaming up on a series of adventures, one in space and another in medieval times.

A vampiric girl siding with a human to battle another vampire.

A princess knight who assists a man going against his clone.

And a young girl who joins a boy discovering an extraterrestrial gun.

The last thing she sees was a mysterious vision of a strange fractal-like universe.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Cage and Emilia wake up screaming in a jolt, frightened.

While Cage puts in hands in front of his face, Emilia breathed out a few gasps.

They were sleeping on the duffel bags. They were handcuffed.

"Man...", Emilia gasped, "...that was a horrible nightmare."

Or was it?


	6. Waking Up

**A/N: From the end of this chapter, an OC character is introduced. Imagine myself as the voice and mo-cap of the role alongside Kayli Mills as Emilia. Still don't own anything.**

After Cage and Emilia had woken up, Ferris was the next to wake up, asking, "What's the matter, Emilia? Something happened?"

"I just had this horrible dream where...we were in the middle of warfare. We were destroying these aliens, and you died. I'm so sorry...", scared Emilia, trying to hug her boyfriend, but realizing her hands were cuffed, "Why are my hands cuffed?"

Ferris questioned, "What? I didn't die. The last thing I remember...is that we were arrested."

"What...do you mean?", Emilia heard him.

The two, as well as Cage, watch the bus cruising by with an advertisement of Rita Vrataski, vandalized; 'Full Metal Bitch!'.

They were back at Heathrow.

"On your feet, maggots!", an army sergeant shouted, kicking the duffel bags and catching their attention, the three stood up.

Emilia dazed, "Haven't I seen you befo-"

"Get in line before I bust your hole with my boot heel, maggots!", angered the army sergeant.

"Hold up there, sergeant.", someone said, walking over to the three after excusing the other sergeant, who is Farrell once again (who had seemingly died), "Can I help you, fellas?"

Cage and Emilia recognize, "Sergeant Farrell..."

"That is my name. I think I get it. Poker night? Bachelor party?", said the master sergeant.

The two both silently said, "We're not sure..."

"It happens. I'll get you sorted out, guys.", Farrell told them, "Let me take those for you.", he said next about to take their clothes but both Cage and Emilia flinched.

Both question, "What day is it?"

"For you guys...", Farrell said, pulling out a UDF notification letter, "Judgement day."

* * *

Farrell took Cage, Emilia and Ferris around telling them, "Good news is there's hope for you, privates. Hope in the form of glorious combat. Battle is the great redeemer. The fiery crucible..."

"...in which only true heroes are forged...", Cage and Emilia suspiciously thought.

Farrell asked, "Did you just...interrupt me, privates?"

' _Wait..._ ', the half-elf thought, ' _...haven't I...?_ '

Cage and Emilia indicate, "Sergeant...you're not gonna believe what we're about to tell you..."

"No, I'm not. Now, where was I?", asked the sergeant.

They both hesitate, "The fiery crucible..."

"The fiery crucible is in which only true heroes are forged...", Farrell continued.

Ferris, listening to this, was worried for Cage and Emilia.

* * *

"...the one place where all men truly share the same rank, regardless of what kind of parasitic scum they were going in.", spoke Farrell, before whistling when going into one of the squad rooms, "Squad! This here is Privates Cage, Emilia and Ferris. Privates, J-Squad.", he said as he introduced the members of J-Squad (who all also seemingly died).

Griff asked Cage, "Isn't that an officer's uniform? Though sure ain't officer cufflinks?"

"Oh, I see! Everyone is having a productive morning! You know, it gives me a swell of pride knowing soldiers of your...caliber will be leading the charge tomorrow. Tip of the spear. Edge of the knife.", Farrell presumed, before seeing something hidden under the bed sheet, "Crackin' my ass.", pulling off the sheet showing playing cards, "Private Kimmel, what is my view of gambling in the barracks?"

These events had Cage and Emilia confused, knowing they may have heard this before.

"You dislike it, Sergeant Farrell.", Kimmel says.

Farrell then asked, "Nance, why do I dislike it?"

"It entertains the notion our fate is in hands other than our own.", Nance said, taking a card.

The master sergeant queries next, "And what is my definitive position on the concept of fate, chorus?"

"Through readiness and discipline, we are masters of our fate.", J Squad all said, with Cage and Emilia repeating this under their breaths.

Ferris gagged when seeing the J-Squad members offscreen eat the cards, "Why?"

"You guys might call that notion ironic. Trust me, y'all come around.", Farrell said, uncuffing the three.

Then, Emilia started feeling her stomach growl loudly.

"What was that?", Kimmel questioned.

The half-elf giggled, turning bright red in embarassment, "Uh...I think that was...a stomach problem."

"What did you eat then?", Ford and Skinner both joke.

Emilia backed up, "No, really! I'm just...hungry at the moment.", her stomach growling more, "Is there by any chance where my room is, because I need to go?"

"If you want, I can show you-", Nance came over to her.

The princess smiled, "No! I'm good! I know where it is.", leaving with Ferris unable to catch up.

Felix frowns, her neko ears drooping, "I hope she's actually okay. That dream msut've gotten a lot out of her."

* * *

Emilia enters the same crappy metallic room from earlier, turning on the light.

"This can't be happening. I think this is what happened the other day. Maybe they're pranking on us. Is it their daily routine? I don't know...", Emilia said to herself, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge. She drank it, but her stomach continued growling, while Emilia continued theorizing to herself, "...thi-this is just a setup. Pull it together. We need to get out and find out what's happening.", grabbing a cup and using the tap for water, drinking more water from the tap, but to no avail; "I'm...getting a lot dizzy right now..."

Emilia leans on to the bed to help relieve her dizziness, closing her eyes. She groans in pain as she experiences a slight severe headache before it goes away real quick.

"Ohh...", moaned Emilia in hunger.

She checks the fridge again to grab the popcorn chicken frozen food, looking at its expiration date; 07/31/2020. Yet, it was still good to eat even though it isn't expired. Unfortunately there was no microwaves anywhere.

Emilia opens the pack, eats a few frozen chicken tots and chugs all the frozen food into her mouth, some falling to the floor. But she was still feeling hungry.

She checks the fridge again, looking at the fruits inside. The half-elf takes out the small fruit bowl, grabs a few apples and starts to eat. She ate the apples to the core, ate a banana whole without the peel, and was eating the whole peeled orange.

But while Emilia was eating the orange, a low rumble was heard inside her mind, as her purple eyes started turning into a glowing blue. Her eyes revert back to her normal color, and instead of feeling hungry, she felt the urge of throwing up.

Running to the sole toilet in her room, Emilia throws up all the food she ate in the room. Gasping in disgust, she groaned; "What is wrong with me?"

* * *

The next day while Cage was being suited up (with Ferris already telling Farrell she and Emilia doesn't need battle suits), he and Emilia were hearing the nearby conversations.

"Nance groans, "Oh, for christ's sake, Kimmel."

"I got to be free, man.", the J Squad member apologized.

Griff says as he was helping suit up Cage, "Let's get this show on the road, I gotta suit up."

"Hold on. I think let's set it to...English?", Emilia helped, fixing the problem with the weapons' system but made an error with the suit disengagement.

The J Squad member concerned, "Hey! What the hell's wrong with you, guys? Have you ever been in one of these before, Cage?"

"...Maybe.", thought Cage, Emilia and Ferris pondering to this as his suit was fixed.

Griff asked, "You know where the safety is?"

"...I'm not sure.", Cage and Emilia answered, "If you know, could you help with that?"

* * *

The armada of heliplanes and copters were travelling to the battlefield.

"I know the pressure on you is enormous. Two minutes to drop!", Farrell said, "It's all right to be be scared. Remember, there's no courage without fear."

One of the soldiers said, "Aye! Aye, mate! I think there's something wrong with his suit. And why isn't those girls wearing the battle suits?"

Emilia and Cage listen carefully.

"Hey! There's dead guys in it!", Skinner said, the others making fun.

Ford told Cage and Emilia, "Hey, watch your back out there...guys."

"No one else will.", Cage and Emilia copied Nance's remark.

Nance laughed for a second, "Ha! G-bitch!"

Alarms sound, and the hatchdoors open, showing the sea as they almost approach the beach.

"Get ready! Thirty seconds to drop! On my mark! Stand by to deploy! Activate drop lines!", Sergeant Farrell instructs, "Remember-"

Cage and Emilia realize, "HEY-"

 **BOOOOOOM!**

Behind Farrell, the left side of the heliplane explodes.

Cage and Emilia were shocked. They couldn't have believe what they're now going through.

They were fighting the same invasion all over again.

Emilia's ears rang. Their hearts beated faster. The sight of soldiers being released and dropped into the warzone traumatized them. They witness Kuntz's death.

Ferris asked, "Emmy, what's happening...?", cautious.

"HOLD ON!", Emilia said, releasing her, Cage and Felix's landing mechanisms.

After they fell and their cables snap, they land back into the battlefield.

The three notice Kimmel cheering, "OH GOD, WE MADE IT! OH GOD, WE MADE IT!"

" **BEHIND YOU!** ", shouted Cage and Emilia.

Kimmel stops cheering and turns around, seeing the heliplane about to crush him!

 **BOOOM!** The heliplane crushed Kimmel!

A wave of sand lands onto them, not blown back this time.

The three then moved forward into the battlefield.

A heliplane like earlier, was circling down and headed towards the three.

"WATCH OUT!", the half-elf shrieked, holding onto Felix's hand as Cage and the two girls quickly go into a sand trench before the heliplane breaks apart and nearly hits them again.

While Cage takes off his helmet and he, Emilia and Ferris see Rita fighting a Mimic, whom she sees the Mimic then slaughtering some of her associative soldiers. Rita was running after it but the Mimic suddenly strikes her down. Her explosive system turns on, aiming at the Mimic, as it then shoots it before the alien can get to her, exploding.

"Now's our chance!", Emilia readied, the three getting up the same time as Rita.

When she grabs her sword, Cage, Emilia and Ferris yell, "INCOMING!", the four pinned.

"I'm hit.", Cage said, as Rita gets him off of her, "How bad is it? Is there a lot of blood?"

Emilia then turns to Ferris, who had been impaled on the stomach by Rita's blade inadvertently!

"Ferris!", Emilia shouted in horror, Ferris falling to his knees and lying dead.

Rita then answered to Cage, "Not much, really."

"I did?", Cage asked, before Rita had taken his exosuit's battery pack, explosions in the background; "Did you just take my...my battery pack...?"

Rita leaves without saying a word. Emilia, after seeing her boyfriend die once again and what she witnessed so far, leaves Cage behind, crying.

In a few seconds, Cage sees a Mimic suddenly appears behind the crashed heliplane!

"HOLY FU-", Cage almost swore before the Mimic kills him.

Emilia on the other hand, heard Cage's death, and ran to stop behind the heliplane, silently sobbing.

She couldn't handle being in the war anymore. She witnessed her boyfriend die, she witnessed Cage die, and she couldn't stand fighting against the aliens.

Emilia then saw a mirror through a heliplane blade, looking at her reflection. She noticed her purple eyes had turned into a bright glowish blue, with strange midnight-bluish veins appearing around her eyes.

 _ **Emmy.**_

A voice suddenly calls inside Emilia. Her glowing blue eyes grew bigger and entirely into a silver-blue-hued color. She jolted and screamed shortly, backing up, slipping, and hitting her head on the heliplane's infrastructure.

Her eyes turned back to normal. Blood poured behind her head. Her vision started to fade. Emilia was about to lose consciousness again...

* * *

"AARGH!", Cage and Emilia gasped waking up.

They were on the duffel bags again.

Emilia started to panic, "What the...hell is going on?!"

 _ **Emmy...?**_

"AH!", gasped Emilia when hearing this inside her head, "Who said that?! WHO SAID THAT?!"

Ferris woke up and was worried, "Emmy. Calm down. Why are you yelling?"

 _ **You're not calm.**_

"GAH! WILL YOU SHUT UP?!", angered Emilia. Then, Emilia and Cage see the bus cruising by with the advertisement of Rita Vrataski, vandalized; 'Full Metal Bitch!'. She wondered, "Wait, hold on..."

The same army sergeant from earlier kicks the duffel bags and yells, "On your feet, maggots!"

 _ **Didn't you realize? You and Cage are stuck in a time loop.**_

The voice in Emilia's head tells her this, giving her a moment of horrifying realization, "Oh my god..."


	7. The Time Loop

**A/N: At the near end of this chapter, the mysterious OC character (the voice talking to Emilia inside her head) will be revealed.**

Master Sergeant Farrell was driving a truck en route to meet with Cage, Emilia and Ferris and the former two, handcuffed again, quickly got up and ran to see him.

Both yelled, "Sergeant Farrell!", with Ferris catching up with them, confused of what's going on with them, "Sergeant Farrell!"

"Can I help you, guys-", the sergeant stopped his car and got off his vehicle.

Cage explained, "My name is Major Will Cage, this is Emilia and Ferris; I'm from US Army Media Relations, We were at a bachelor party or a poker game, you have an order in your left pocket that says we're deserters impersonating an officer and reporters, but what it doesn't say is that your- Your name is Master Sergeant Farrell from Science Hill, Kentucky; and if you'll give us 30 seconds to explain how we know that you may just save the lives of every soldier on this base..."

"Look, me and Felix are reporters, this Maximus general guy first got us into this mess, I thought I had a bad dream at first, then we waking up to his experiment of his...", Emilia supported and told.

 _ **It wasn't an experiment.**_

Emilia aggravated to herself, "Okay, look just **SHUT THE HELL UP!** ", cutting back to the chase, "Listen. I can help, just trust me. What was it that you say? _'Hope in the form of glorious combat. Battle is the great redeemer. The fiery crucible in which only true heroes are forged...'_ "

Farrell wasn't surprised by their remarks.

* * *

Going into the army base, Farrell led the restrained Cage and Emilia (with Ferris following along), the two heroes panicking; "You have to listen to me! They know we're coming! They're waiting for us, we have been there! We have seen it! You're doomed! YOU'RE DOOMED!", going to the J Squad room again, calming down, "Okay, okay, we're okay.", presuming to Farrell with Felix, "This is J Squad, yes?"

"Right, this is J Squad.", corrects Farrell.

Cage and Emilia keep their cool, "Not that we should know that, but okay. Have...any of you met us before?", asking the members of J Squad.

"Bitch, I don't remember you two.", Nance sarcastically smiled.

The two firmly said, "Exactly! Yes, thank you. Your name is Nance. You're Bibble- No, Kimmel. Kimmel. You fight balls out, literally.", naming the rest, "Ford. Skinner. Griff. You're...he doesn't talk much."

 _ **His name's Kuntz.**_

"Will you please just be quiet for one damn second, you cunt? Thank you.", Emilia said to herself, before she and Cage recount, "But there's a card game under the bed."

Ford disappointed, "Thanks a lot, assholes."

"Was it flush...spades...no, clubs! Clubs.", the two correctly remembered, "And you're going to make them eat those cards. Are we right?", Ferris felt disgusted at the 'eating cards' part. Emilia continued, "We double-checked the deck, Farrell. You gotta believe us."

Farrell told her, "It sounds very strange. I understand your dilemma, but no can do."

"There's no such thing as can't.", nodded Emilia with disagreement.

The sergeant apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Okay, uh...would it be possible if you'd write this down and report this message to the general?", she pardons him.

Farrell again said, "Please. I really know you're worried, but I can't..."

 _ **Let's eat his head.**_

The voice in Emilia's head says this, her eyes momentarily glowing blue instead of the normal purple.

" **NO!** Don't you touch him, he's just a sergeant!", Emilia conflicted to the voice in her head, turning away from him while her eyes quickly switch back to normal.

Farrell calmed, coming forward slowly, "What's wrong? What's got you so worked up, young girl?"

"What's her problem?", smirked Nance.

Emilia quietly said to herself, "Farrell served in the army, he works for the United Defense Force program, maybe even to support his own family!"

"What's wrong?", Farrell tried asking for an answer from the half-elf.

The princess turned back to him and said, "W-w-we'll just-"

 _ **We...?**_

"W-we'll just leave it...", focused Emilia.

The sergeant seriously question, "No, really. I'm serious, what's the matter-"

" **Just STAY** back!", she rebukes back at him threateningly, silencing him as he backs up, "Ferris, come." She proceeds to take her boyfriend's hand and leaves the room, "We're going somewhere else for the night. I'm still hungry...and I need to borrow some money! We'll come back later!"

This allows Cage to continue, "What we're about to tell you...sounds crazy. It's true...and you have to listen to me. Your very lives...depend on it."

* * *

Outside the Heathrow base, Emilia and Ferris were on their way to the La Salle restaurant, the half-elf explaining to her boyfriend, "You see, I've been going through a lot with Cage. We went onto these battles fighting aliens and seeing Rita, but-"

 _ **Food.**_

"Ah! Who said that?", alerted the white-haired girl.

The neko curiously worries, "Who said what?"

"You know what? It's nothing, let's-"

"Emmy. What's going on? You have no idea how much you're scaring me right now..."

"It's only a hunch, love. I'm not insane, trust me. That is why I'm gonna try calming down by eating some lunch-"

 _ **Hungry!**_

Emilia feels a slight headache and leans to the wall. It passes away again as it had Ferris worried again.

"Oh, damn! Don't worry about me. Just felt a headache. We're just gonna go inside, all right?", Emilia recovered.

In the La Salle restaurant, Emilia and Ferris put a reservation and got to their table.

"Ferris, I remembered that the last time I saw you die in the battlefield yesterday was when we met Rita but you were impaled or something-", the half-elf tried explaining, "Then we I passed out that day, I woke up with you and Cage."

Felix asked her, "Were you drunk? I'm telling you, the last thing I know was being arrested by those generals!"

"I'm not drunk, and second, those generals must've experimented on me and Cage, but not you!"

"What?!"

"But this voice in my head...it, sounds like he, said that we may be stuck in a time loop!", Emilia evidences, Ferris leaning over to feel her forehead.

The androgynous neko noticed, "You're burning up."

"It's not about that, we have to think about this loop!", Emilia argued, slamming the table with her fist and getting up.

Feeling hungry, she grabs a chicken drumstick from a passing vendor and eats it vigorously. Feeling the bone in her mouth, she spat it out, the customers gasping.

"Emmy, my god!", disgusts Ferris worryingly.

Emilia places the eaten chicken drumstick back on the vendor's tray of plates in-hand, telling him; "This is dead. Dead."

She walks over to another person's table with the customer about to eat the burger. She tries to grab the burger away from him while still suffering from hunger.

Ferris gets up from his table, trying to help Emilia from stopping this. The manager of the restaurant sees this and joins in by trying to resist the half-elf from taking the person's food.

"Quit it! Snap out of it!", Ferris slapped his girlfriend, whom she turns around to him and the manager.

The manager asked, "What the bloody hell are you doing with the customers' food? You drunk? You're going to have to...", before Emilia touches his face.

"No...", Emilia struggles, deciding what she should do to help her increasing hunger.

She moves to another person's table and violently shoves the customer away, grabbing and eating the mozzasticks and fries, spitting out a few ends of the fries.

"Does anyone else feel hot?", exhausts Emilia, due to the high fever and dizziness she experiences again. She was walking back to her and Felix's table as she slowly takes off her hoodie and regular sleeve-length outfit, with only her battle dress. She sees a nearby live seafood tank across from the table.

Another employee comes over and asked, "Ma'am-", but Emilia shushed her.

The girl comes towards the water tank, Ferris telling her, "No, no! Please don't!", before the half-elf climbs and sits inside the water tank, half of her body in the water with her battle dress and boots on, relaxing by the coolness to help her fever.

"Excuse me, you and your girlfriend need to get out.", the employee in the restaurant requests to Ferris, "I'm gonna call the police."

"No, please don't call the police. My girlfriend is feeling awful at the moment...", apologized Ferris to the employee before coming over to his girlfriend, "You're insane! Why did you-", her boyfriend scolded.

Emilia excused, "I couldn't help it! They're killing people tomorrow!"

"Who's killing-"

"The Mimics!"

"God, not this aga-"

"They are! Me and Cage know! We have proof!", honestly said Emilia, her eyes turning into a glowing blue again.

She suddenly splashes her hand into the water tank and takes out one of the live lobsters, eating it vigorously which disgusts the customers eating, including Ferris.

Emilia, whose eyes turn back to their purple color, looks at her boyfriend after eating the live lobster and said, "We have proof. Cage must've talked the J Squad and the general out...right?"

* * *

The next day.

Emilia and Ferris (without battle suits once again) were in the heliplane with Cage and the J Squad soldiers again. This time, Cage had strips of tape stuck to his mouth by the J Squad, who still doesn't believe his explanation of the time loop.

Cage's yells were muffled, trying to warn the soldiers through the tape, as the J Squad ignored.

The two Re:Zero characters wanted to help but they were attached to the release landing mechanism like the others.

"Please. You gotta understand.", nodded Emilia, as the J Squad were not listening to her either.

Griff asked Nance, "What are they doing?", as Cage continued yelling through the tape, muffled.

The hatchdoors below open once again, while Cage was attempting to remove the tape from his mouth with his teeth.

 _ **We must warn them. Quick!**_

Emilia listens to the voice in her head as she realizes this was the part when something bad was about to happen.

"Get ready! Thirty seconds to drop! On my mark! Stand by to deploy! Activate-", Sergeant Farrell instructed, just before the tape on Cage's face was detached.

Cage and Emilia shouted, " **THE SHIP IS ABOUT TO EXPLO-** "

 **BOOOOOOOM!**

The left side of the heliplane behind Farrell explodes again.

"Screw it!", Emilia yelled, as she, Cage (who disengages his exosuit weapon system) and Ferris proceed to release their landing mechanisms first, falling into the battlefield below.

The three charge, seeing ahead where Kimmel was cheering, "OH GOD, WE MADE IT! OH GOD, WE MADE IT!"

 _ **Save him!**_

Cage and Emilia push Kimmel away, but both instead were crushed by the crashing heliplane.

Ferris, seeing this, yelled, "EMMY!"

"Thank you.", Kimmel said after his life was saved to whoever it was.

* * *

"GAH!"

Emilia and Cage woke up gasping on the duffel bags beside Felix.

 _ **Asshole.**_

"On your feet, maggot!"

* * *

Emilia, Cage and Felix arrive at the battlefield the next day for the fourth time.

The three charge to where Kimmel was cheering, "OH GOD, WE MADE IT! OH GOD, WE MADE IT!"

The half-elf and the private push the J Squad member away, also dodging the crashing heliplane.

 _ **Nicely done!**_

While Ferris catches up with Emilia and Cage, Kimmel watches the three move forward after his life was saved.

Emilia and Cage ran across the battlefield, dodging energy blasts and running past many soldiers.

 _ **Don't stop now.**_

Rita once again emerges the crashed heliplane with her fellow soldiers, sword in-hand. She stops to see Cage, Emilia and Ferris running towards her-

"AAAH!", Cage and Emilia yelped as a passing army car hits them, Felix looking off in horror.

 _ **Try again.**_

* * *

The fifth time, Cage, Emilia and Ferris ran across the battlefield, passing the army car behind them.

 _ **Great job! Now, we're working progress!**_

Epic flames appeared behind them, running towards Rita.

"Watch out!", Emilia warned, as she, Ferris and Cage pin Rita, into the inside of the crashed heliplane. She warily checks if Ferris was stabbed again by Rita's sword, but wasn't this time. "Thank heaven...", as she and Cage told Rita, "We're trying to save you; we're getting slaughtered, you need to get us off this beach!"

 _ **Above you!**_

Emilia listened and a Mimic tore open the top of the heliplane structure, as Cage uses his bullets while Emilia uses her Ice Spike Magic to shoot it, and when the alien appears to the right, Cage blasts it with an explosive from his weapons system.

"We have to go, this drop ship is about to explode, we have to go now!", Cage and Emilia get Rita and Felix up, the two were about to leave the crash site but sees a few Mimics, "Wait."

Cage and Emilia attack the Mimic with bullets and magic respectively, but the enemy gets up above the crashed ship and waits for its move.

 _ **Evasive**_ ** _maneuver._**

The half-elf said to herself, "I know that, I know!", she and Cage saying, "Come on!"

Getting out of the ship, the two dodge the energy blasted out of the Mimic and shoot with bullets and ice spikes. The alien dodges across the top as it screeches, getting off and onto the sandy battlefield.

Rita and Ferris continue looking on to see them fight the alien, Cage finishing it off with another explosive.

"That wasn't so bad. I aim to please.", impressed Emilia, glad her fighting skills have been improved.

 _ **Watch to your left!**_

A Mimic screeches to Emilia's left, about to attack her. She turns to her left and reaches out about to use her magic...

...but her hand grabs the Mimic by the throat, transformed into a midnight-bluish liquefying skin.

"What the...?", surprised Emilia, feeling fear linger within her soul.

Dark midnight-blue symbiotic liquefied skin started to surround and appear all around her body, like her feet, her shoulders, her chest, her fingers and arms.

Her symbiotic-covered arms became bulky. Her body grew muscular and bigger by the mass. She started growing a few feet taller, rising. A dark Ludwig Goransson theme sounded while she was transforming.

As the mass grows and grows, surrounding the lower part of her body and up to her head, the scared Emilia's face was being engulfed by the liquid mass.

The mass' face was emerged, sporting many sets of teeth, half-crescent-shaped silver-blue-hued eyes and a long tongue, revealing to be a Mimic symbiote.

" **Obsidian...colors...tentacles...** ", the symbiote smiled maliciously, " **So many snacks, so little time...** "

It then slowly opens his mouth and leans closer to the screeching Mimic, licking the alien.

About to eat it whole, another Mimic used energy blasts towards the symbiotic alien. It decides to bissect its body with its bare hands, throwing the corpse off. It comes over, leans down and eats the Mimics' head off. Rita and Ferris witnesses this, the latter feeling horrified and disgusted by the symbiote's appearance.

It then fends off a couple more Mimics, smashing them around to the ground and eating one's head off, tearing the other apart. Cage shoots a couple incoming Mimics with his weapons system again.

 _What are you doing? Why is it so dark in here?!_

" **I'm trying to help you!** ", the symbiote said.

Cage keeps his cool and signalled to the other two, "Let's go!", about to advance.

 _Get me out of the dark!_

" **Wait, Emmy. What about-** ", the symbiote disapproves of Emilia's request.

 _I don't care! There's no Mimics for now near us, you killed them._

" **But-** ", it tries to explain.

 _Not now!_

With force, Emilia succeeds by the symbiote sinking back inside her body, turning back to normal. The black veins sunk back into her body as she then looked at Rita and Ferris.

"Felix, come. It's fine now.", Emilia said, Felix coming over while still frightened from what she just saw.

The three were about to move forward, but Rita stays behind at the crashed ship. They turned again to Rita.

"Come on! The ship is going to explode!", Cage and Emilia warned Rita, the latter Angel of Verdun dropping her militarial sword defeatistically, "What are you doing?"

Rita then told the three, "Find me when you wake up."

"...what?", Cage and Emilia couldn't understand.

Rita said again, "Come find me when you wake u-"

 **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

The dropship heliplane explodes, engulfing the four and killing them.

* * *

Cage and Emilia gasp again, waking up on the sixth loop, beside Felix on the duffel bags.

"She just said...", Emilia muttered under her breath.

 _ **I tried to warn you.**_

The half-elf facepalmed, "I know. The dropship."

 _ **Remember what Rita Vrataski said.**_

"I know that!", said Emilia, realizing, "And this is the part where we must get up for the army sergeant, huh?"

 _ **Yes.**_

The girl slapped her hands, "Okay! Felix, get up!", smoothly as the two with Cage get up.

At that moment, the same minor army sergeant came over and said, "On your feet, maggots.", the three seeing the cruising bus with the vandalized Rita Vrataski advertisement, "Get in line before I bust your hole with my boot heel, maggots."

"Yeah. We'll get in line.", Emilia said, distracted when seeing the bus pass.


	8. PT

Cage, Emilia and Ferris enter the army base again with Sergeant Farrell saying, "Good news is, there's hope for you privates. Hope in the form of glorious combat. Battle is the great redeemer. The fiery crucible in which only true heroes are forged. The one place where all men truly share-"

"-the same rank regardless of what kind of parasitic scum they're going in? Yeah!", Emilia finished his sentence as she and Cage rush to J Squad's room.

The squad members quickly stood, Cage and Emilia quickly hiding the card game under the bed sheet from Ford and Kimmel's bed.

"Thank us later.", complimented Emilia while winking with Cage, to Kimmel.

Farrell was about to introduce, "Squad, this here is-", as Felix catched up.

"Privates Cage, Emilia. Private Ferris is here too. You must be J Squad. It's good to meet you.", interrupts the two heroes, the voice in Emilia's head saying to her;

 _ **Sentence finisher. Nice.**_

Griff asked Cage, "Isn't that an officer's uniform?"

"Though sure ain't officer's cufflinks?", finished Cage, interrupting Griff's sentence.

Emilia chuckled, "Considering the fact the three of us wear these, am I right?", as she, Emilia and Ferris (beckoned to come over) came close to Farrell. She and Cage asked him, "Keys? Left pocket. Probably."

"How did you know about this?", Felix wondered to his girlfriend.

The half-elf shrugs, "A lot of...hunches."

"Privates Cage, Emilia and Felix are deserters. I'm making you all personally responsible for their deliverance. They will be combat-ready by oh-six-hundred tomorrow.", Farrell spoke, as Cage and Emilia pass a baseball glove to Ford, patting him on the arms; the two help pack their clothes onto the, "They are under the delusion they do not belong here. We must dissuade them of this illusion. If they try to run, feel free to dissuade them..."

Cage and Emilia interrupt, "No, no, no, no. We aren't running from you guys. Not a chance."

"...until they can't piss standing up.", the sergeant unfazed.

The two thanked, "Thank you, Sergeant Farrell.", Emilia cooled up, "No hard feelings.", the sergeant then leaving the scene, also leaving the three to talk to J Squad.

Cage clapped, "What next, a little uh...P.T?"

"Oh, yes! But first, I'll get ready first. I know where my room is, okay?", the half-elf smiled.

Ferris and Nance said again, "Are you sure you...need anything...", but Emilia already left.

"Ferris, take a break. You don't need P.T right now because you already did...but I'll meet you later! Cage, see you in ten minutes.", hurries Emilia offscreen, while a sergeant reminds that P.T. is in ten minutes.

The androgynous boy answered, "Oh...okay.", still curious.

* * *

Once Emilia reached the solitary room, she smiled happily and entered, closing the door.

Her mood had suddenly switched from happy, to a sad and hopeless mood.

She sobbed loudly and covers her face in sadness, crying a lot of tears while sitting on the uncomfortable bed again, thinking about all the things that have happened so far...

 _ **Emmy.**_

Emilia removes her hands from her face, her eyes irritated from all the crying and her tears running down her face. She looks to her left, towards the mirror before she sees the inevitable.

The same midnight-blue symbiote from the fifth loop, appears in the mirror's reflection in her place. It was doing the same crying position she was doing that moment.

Her eyes widen by the sight of this, and was in a mix of fright and curiosity. She slowly gets up from the bed and walks slowly towards the mirror.

Unlike her being skinny and beautiful in her POV perspective, the mirror perspective showed the symbiote's intimidating, muscular and bulky appearance, making heavier footsteps towards the mirror.

She reaches her hand towards the mirror like the symbiote in her place's hand reaching towards the reflection. Emilia turns her head around in both directions, then touches her face, while the symbiote (like her reflection) follows her every move.

"You're...you're not even here, I'm seeing things- You're just not real, you're in my head... 'Cause you're just a parasite-", stuttered Emilia.

" **Parasite?!** ", the symbiote figure in the mirror's reflection angered.

The symbiote then forces Emilia by using it's liquid mass to pin her against the wall behind her facing the mirror, this time the symbiote not following her but still stood from the reflection.

"OW!", Emilia painfully said, "Just be calm, Emmy. Just be calm...", struggling to get off the wall but the symbiotic mass still stuck her to it, "Look, I don't know what you are yet or what you want, but I'm sorry I called you a parasite! We'll discuss our introductions later-"

" **Apology accepted.** **Just never call me a parasite again!** ", the symbiote said to her in the mirror, letting Emilia free from the wall, recieving another groan from the girl.

Emilia said, "You're gonna get me killed...", before getting up and saying, "I have to go. P.T's gonna start."

 _ **Personal Training, is it?**_

"You know your stuff, don't you?", the half-elf sarcastically guessed.

 _ **Hunches.**_

"Then, we will meet up with Rita and find out why she wants us to find her when we woke up, 'kay?"

 _ **Correct.**_

* * *

After the ten minutes before P.T, Cage and Emilia joined Farrell and the J Squad for training (except Ferris since he is taking a break earlier), the sergeant taught, "Left! Left!", as they ran; "What are you, sound off!"

"I'm a warrior!", the entire squadron but Cage and Emilia said in unison, all of them running.

"What do warriors do?"

"Kill!"

"What are they gonna do?"

"Kill!"

The sergeant repeats this one more time as they run, both Emilia and Cage seeing a truck from their left.

Ford told Griff, "It's gonna be my 20th battle tomorrow, man."

"You haven't been in 20 battles, mate.", Griff thought to Ford.

"I have too."

"You're gonna dump your load the second we hit the beach tomorrow."

Nance adds in, "Why don't you two get yourselves a nice hot cup of _shut-the-hell-up_?"

"Ha-ha, you funny, girl. I bet I set a record tomorrow.", said Ford.

Skinner objected, "Fastest time running backwards, Ford, slipping in your own shit."

"Knock off the grab-ass!", Farrell shouted while they still ran.

Both Cage and Emilia yelled afterwards, "Grab this, sarge!"

"Hold up!", ordered Farrell, everyone in the squadron stopped, before Cage and Emilia quickly sank down to do pushups, "Privates! Drop and give me..."

The two look at the trucks behind and said when looking back at Farrell, "50, sarge?"

"That's right. 50.", corrected the sergeant, then saying to the squadron, "Platoon! Drop and give me 20! Compliments of Privates Cage and Emilia."

"Thank you, sarge!", Cage and Emilia complimented.

 _ **Those squadmates are being rough.**_

Emilia answers to the symbiotic voice in her head, as she and Cage watch the trucks far from them, on the side while doing pushups, "I know. Again, gonna get me killed."

 _ **You do, I follow. You die, I die.**_

"Oh...why are you speaking to me? Just wondering...I mean, I could donate my carcass and exchange for another one whenever I need...", devestated Emilia, communicating with the symbiotic voice.

 _ **Why would you do that? You are far too good for a match for me so soon. Plus, I'm starting to like you. Even you and I are so different.**_

The half-elf tearfully told the voice in her head, "Just shut the hell up...but thank you."

While she and Cage were doing pushups while watching the trucks, the first truck as passing the training J Squadron, the second being their chance to escape.

 _ **Roll.**_

As the second truck was about to pass, Cage and Emilia pretend to push-up, then attempt to roll across and under the incoming truck...

"AAAH!", Cage and Emilia gasped in fright offscreen, implied that they went under the wheels. Farrell and the J Squad look in disgust and horror.

 _ **Pussy.**_

Farrell dazed and shook in confusement, "What the hell were you two thinking...?"

* * *

"There's hope for you privates. Hope in the form of glorious combat. Battle is the great redeemer.", said Farrell as he brought Cage, Emilia and Ferris in the army base in the seventh loop.

Later in the P.T routine with Cage and Emilia (Ferris once again told to take a break by his girlfriend), the two did push-ups, the first truck passing the training J Squadron, with the second being their chance to escape.

 _ **Roll.**_

The second truck was about to pass, Cage and Emilia pretend to push-up again, then attempt to roll across and under the incoming truck, and made it.

 _ **Awesome job! Now go, before they see you.**_

Emilia (with the voice in her head) and Cage quickly get up and ran as fast as they could catching up with the truck.

Eventually Ferris sees them outside the army center where the J Squad was, noticing Emilia, "Hey! Is my break over yet?", his neko ears twitching cutely.

"Yes, we must go now.", steathly said Emilia, grabbing Felix by the hand and kissing his cheek. The two, whom sneaking past the soldiers with Cage, were searching for where Rita could be...


	9. Rita Vrataski

Cage, Emilia and Ferris had made it to the training center, where Rita Vrataski may be at.

The three were passing the soldiers training with shooting the training bots that resemble the Mimics.

 _ **Nice place you have here. What I said about that Personal Training I said earlier, I meant Physical Training.**_

"Thanks, but no thanks.", dismissed Emilia distastefully, "I get what you meant, voice in my head. I still don't know who you are yet."

 _ **You'll find out later.**_

Ferris asked, "Who are you asking, Emilia?"

"Just thinking. God, this strange voice is such a dunderhead.", the half-elf told her boyfriend.

 _ **I guess that sounds better than being called a parasite.**_

The three continue to find Rita, passing the soldiers in their exosuits who looked at them confusingly. They enter a room with a Do Not Cross notification in front, and they see Rita practicing on her yoga while the training bots were still activated.

"Excuse me...Sergeant Vrataski?", Cage and Emilia ask, the three looking back as the soldiers were curiously looking at them and walking closer slowly to them, as they ask the same question but with no answer.

 _ **Don't blow your cover. Cross.**_

"Here goes nothing...", the princess said, as she and Cage (while Ferris watches) crossed the Do Not Cross. A single alarm sounds, and a training bot swoops past them.

They averted the next training bot as it moved forward. They see the other training bot preparing to move across them.

"Be careful, Emmy!", Ferris called out to Emilia.

Rita, while doing her yoga, sees Cage and Emilia averting the training bots swooping in their path.

Both the private and the half-elf ask once more, "Excuse me-"

"Yes? What do you want? Who said you two could talk to me? Have I got something on my face?", Rita said to the two.

Both said, "You did. You did. Tomorrow, at the beach. Tomorrow, at the bea-", interrupted as a training bot swoops by, "We met."

"First, you died when you saw us. Second, you left us to die. Well, not me because I had an serious injury afterwards, and previously you said to find you when we both wake up.", wisely said Emilia.

 _ **Smart explanation.**_

Cage wondered, "You do know what's happening to us?"

"In shorter news, me and Cage are...stuck in a deja vu. My girlfriend- No- My boyfriend...isn't affected.", the half-elf said, giving details about her and Cage's dilemma to the Angel of Verdun.

Rita said in a moment, "...Come with me. Now.", as she led Cage and Emilia.

* * *

The four (which includes Ferris), were walking off to somewhere in the base as Rita discusses, "You don't talk to anyone about this but me. The best case scenario is you're gonna end up in a psych ward. Worst case, you'll get dissected for study."

"I'm telling you, me and Cage are not crazy. We're not psychotic.", the half-elf corrected, "You see, I'm a half-elf ruler named Emilia, this is my boyfriend Ferris, even though he looks like a girl. We're from a kingdom called Lugnica and after one night, we wound up in...London with this guy here."

Rita continued, "Are we clear? Yes?"

"Yes.", Cage, Emilia and Felix said.

The Angel of Verdun queries to Cage, "First time you died, what happened? You killed a Mimic?"

"Yes."

"Describe it."

"It was different. It was bigger. Bluish."

"And you got covered in its blood?"

"As a matter of fact, I did.", Cage answered, Ferris shocked to hear this.

Rita then queried to Emilia, "You. Half-elf. First time you died, what happened?"

"Yeah, Emmy? What exactly happened?", carefully worried Ferris.

Emilia unsurely remarked, "Me? Well, I did not exactly die. Mine was really different than his. When me and him were killing our first Mimic, two more came up and all of a sudden...this strange blob, sort of bluish-black coloured. It killed the Mimics from the inside, and when it tried to kill me, I blocked it but...it got me. Like, it got inside of me. And right after both he and my boyfriend Ferris died moments later, I had these... I had these painful convulsions. And I saw a vision of some people and a strange fractal of a interstellar flame. You know I can do magic, but a few details to explain this are not exactly spot-on despite my expertise on magic and knowledge from back home. And that's it, that's when I woke up."

"My gosh...I'm so sorry for you...", Ferris felt awful when hearing her story.

 _ **Aw, that was the best monologue I ever heard of.**_

"Yeah...then I had some symptoms like hunger and headaches, and now I have this voice in my head ever since, and see a strange bluish-black figure in the mirror. Everytime. Like as if I'm hallucinating or something.", the half-elf added.

 _ **It is not a hallucination.**_

She pointed to her head and exampled, "See? It talked to me right now."

"They know we're coming. On the beach tomorrow. It's a slaughter, isn't it?", asked Vrataski.

Cage questioned her, "How do you know this? Could you just- Wait, wait. Wait. Would you please explain to us what the hell is happening?"

"What happened to you happened to me.", revealed Rita, "I had it, I lost it, okay?"

Cage and Emilia presumes, "That's great. There's a cure. How do we get rid of this?"

"First, I need your help.", Rita offered.

The two ask, "Help with what, exactly?"

"Winning the war.", the female sergeant said, leading them to the truck they're taking, "Let's go, come on."

 _ **This is gonna be fun.**_

Emilia sarcastically said to herself, "I know, right?"

* * *

The four of them took a truck to drive across the base to a small building.

Inside, they pass many workers welding on the technological exosuits, one of the welders removing his helmet to look who they were.

Seeing this, he dismisses his gear and follows after the four.

Rita leads the three into a weapons repair room, as the strange welder worker follows suit, the last one to go inside...


	10. Operation Downfall

The five go deeper within the weapons repairs room as the strange welder asks Rita, "Rita, what is this? Rita, what are you doing here, you gotta give me some warning! Who are they?"

"He and the half-elf's me. Before Verdun. They're gonna help us.", the Angel of Verdun tells the welder.

The welder hesitates and guessed, "What? He's-"

"Yes."

"...when did they die? Where?"

"On the beach. Tomorrow."

Emilia told him, "Only me and him. My lover Ferris here isn't affected though."

"...how many fingers am I holding up behind my back?", the welder asked Cage, Emilia and Ferris.

The three ask, "How should we know that?", the welder reveals to hold up two fingers while Rita picks up a strange device.

"Okay, so...this is the first time we had this conversation.", the strange man said.

Rita was holding the device and thought, "We should try this on him.", the device releasing needles on one end, startling Cage, Emilia and Ferris.

"What the hell is that?", Cage asked her about the device.

Emilia cautiously says, "You know needles freak me out!"

 _ **Stay calm. Again, you're not calm.**_

"I never said I wasn't calm!", the princess said to herself.

The welder told Rita about the device, "It doesn't work.", who then told Cage and Emilia, "Have they had any visions yet?"

"Visions of what?", Cage said.

The white-haired girl responded, "The only vision I had was a fractal."

The man said to Rita, "There's still time."

"Time? Look, we're sorry. Who is this, who are you?", both Cage and Emilia apologize.

Emilia asked, "What are you? Some kind of first-class scientist? Are you like Rita too?"

"I'm Dr. Carter. Particle physics, advanced microbiology.", the welder reveals his identity.

Rita explains, "He's also the only person who believes what's happening to you two. No one understands Mimic biology better than him. He's a top analyst at Whitehall."

"Well, I mean I was, until I met Rita and now I'm just...a mechanic with psychiatric delusions.", includes Carter.

The army woman told the doctor, "Carter, show them.", as he nodded.

He commences to remove the stuff on the table, activating holograms of the Mimics.

Carter taught the three, "Well, first of all, you're not fighting an army. You have to think of this as a single organism. Now, these common drones, they act like it's claws."

"And Alphas, like the one that you killed, are much more rare.", Rita explained to them.

The doctor agrees, "Yeah, they're like 18- 6.18 million by my guess."

"Millions?", Emilia questions, with Felix astonished by the facts.

The sergeant continued, "They act as the enemy's..."

"They're like it's central nervous system. But this...", Carter said to them, before revealing a hologram of a brain-like Mimic system, "...is the brain. It controls them all. This is the Omega. And the Omega's ability to control time."

Rita detailed, "Whenever an Alpha is killed...", snapping her fingers, "...an automatic response is triggered. The Omega starts the day over again. You see this time, it can remember what's going to happen, just like you two do."

"It knows exactly what we're going to do before we do it."

"And the enemy that knows the future can't lose.", finished Rita.

Felix hesitates, "Hold on...you're telling me that he and my girlfriend are time-travelers?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, love.", Emilia proved, as both she and Cage ask, "But if that's true, how do you win in Verdun?"

The army woman replied, "We were allowed to win. This thing...wants us to believe we can win. It wants us to throw everything we have into the invasion. Operation Downfall isn't our endgame. It's the enemy's."

"The thing you guys gotta understand is...perfectly evolved world-conquering organism.", Carter told Emilia and William, "For all we know there may be thousands of millions of those asteroids floating around in the cosmos like a virus. And it's waiting to crash-land into a world with just right conditions. All they need, is for the dominant lifeform to attack and...", before snapping his fingers again.

Rita continues for him, "And there will be nothing to stop the Mimics conquering the rest of the world. Unless, you two change the outcome."

"Us?", both William and Emilia said.

Carter told Cage, "When you killed that Alpha, you inadvertently entered the enemy's nervous system."

"And you seized control of the Omega's ability to reset the day.", Rita supported.

Cage and Emilia ask more, "How is that even possible?", the latter reasoning, "Mine was different because...do you, by any chance, know of a strange blob that kills Mimics and enters into some kind of host? If not, then is it rare like 99% of all Mimics out there?"

Carter answers her question, "As a matter of fact, no. Its rarity, correct. Perhaps this organism's...only vulnerability...is humanity."

"Regardless of that, you two can control the power now.", Rita told the two, Ferris looking at them desperately, "Just as I did in Verdun."

 _ **Listen to them. It's a lesson that you and I would look forward to.**_

Emilia nods, "Shut the hell up.", to the voice in her head.

 _ **We'll talk after.**_

Cage and Emilia continues to ask, "So we're resetting the day?", both Rita and Carter nodding, "Okay...how do we control it?"

 _ **There's no need to control for us two. I'll take care of that.**_

The half-elf said to herself again, "I thought you said you'll talk after."

"You have to die.", Rita momentarily said to the two heroes.

Carter adds, "Every day."

"Till the Omega's destroyed.", said the Angel of Verdun.

Cage and Emilia hesitates for a few moments, thinking of all the possible outcomes that would happen for this mission.

The two, with Felix, back up slowly before they both said, "First of all...this is a terrific presentation. Terrific. We know the generals. We should take this to them. You just tell him everything you told us."

"I went to see the general, guys. Many number of times. Psych ward. Dissection. Remember?", said Rita.

Felix felt bad for her, his neko ears drooping, "That's terrible. Even though my girlfriend said I wasn't affected, I trust her dilemma more than anyone else in the world."

"What are you expecting...from us?", William and Emilia ask the sergeant again.

Carter asked, "Have you seen anything strange?"

"Is he shitting me?", the two both said, Emilia explaining, "I haven't seen anything weird since that fractal and some other people I don't know about."

Rita corrects the doctor, "Visions."

"Visions! Have you two seen any visions like that?", Carter queries, about the Omega, "The Omega senses when it's losing control of its power. Even now it's mentally searching to find you two."

The woman warns, "When it's close to finding you two, you'll start having visions. You'll start to see that.", about the Omega again.

"You'll even see where it is.", the doctor told them.

Emilia, Ferris and Cage wondered to Rita, "...but you had these visions?"

"Yes.", Rita said.

"But eventually you saw it. Actually saw it, right?"

"Never in the flesh."

"So this is all just some...theory? You don't know if this thing even exists."

"The visions showed me it was at Verdun. I could see it. I...I just...lost the power before I could get to it.", Rita came over to the three.

Dr. Carter says after, "And by the time we took Verdun...the Omega was gone."

"...okay. So all we have to do is wait to have these visions...and then they tell you where this...Omega thing is.", Cage, Emilia and Ferris suppose.

Rita disagreed, "No, guys. You're gonna get me there. And I'm gonna kill it."

"Get you there...? I'm not even trained for combat.", chuckled Cage.

Emilia says too, "And I use Ice Magic while my lover uses Water Magic. But mine is not exactly spot-on since Pack isn't here with me. He's back home."

 _ **We need to talk. Now.**_

"Whatever you say.", irritated Emilia, before she left the room with Cage, Rita, Ferris and Carter watching.

Ferris said, "At least I know you're both gonna be okay.", as she looks on...


	11. Vitriol

Emilia was walking out of the small building and headed towards the truck, murmuring, "Stupid voice in my head telling what to do, why can't I tell it what to do?"

 _ **Hide behind the bumper. It's a secret.**_

She proceeds to go to the front of the parked truck they took, sitting down and leaning on it, where no one could see her. She sighs and pants in exhaustion.

Black-bluish veins were hidden on her back as right then, liquid mass started forming behind her and appeared from her left, as she quickly discovers what's happening.

The tip of the liquid mass then forms the fearsome face of the symbiote, still sporting the same massive silver-blue-hued eyes and several sets of sharp teeth.

Emilia exchanges looks with the symbiote, who becomes so afraid of his appearance in front of her.

"What the hell are you...?", Emilia petrified quietly.

" **I am Vitriol. And you are mine.** "

Emilia was scared, "You bit a Mimic's head off...you're the one who talked in my head! A-a-and both Cage and I are stuck in a time loop!"

" **Fuel in a tank. And yes, the hand can turn back the clock. Listen carefully, Emmy. You did not find us. We found you. Think of yourself as my ride.** "

"What do you mean, why are you here? W-where are you going?"

" **We need to destroy the Mimics' Omega. You remember that? Dr. Carter? You will know where it is, Emilia.** "

"How do you know about that? Hell, how do you know my name?"

" **I know everything, Emmy.** "

"You do?"

" **Everything about you.** "

"How?"

" **I'm inside your head.** ", Vitriol said, as this reclamation brought awful memories of the time loop she experienced during her time in the war as this gave emotional pain, " **You are a half-elf. A ruler. Over 108 years old...still beautiful though. But you are a loser, Emmy.** ", Emilia grunts in tension before mildly listening to Vitriol's next explanation, " **Your aunt Fortuna was a good human being...but take a good honest opinion. Think about it. Your father figure, Betelgeuse, was nothing but a crazy witch. I don't have to just judge in my imagination, I could say he's evil.** "

Vitriol smiled maliciously as he and Emilia stay silent for a moment (while Ludwig Goransson music plays), the latter then asking the symbiote, "...are you gonna eat or kill anybody else?"

" **Most unlikely. But I long for the taste of Mimics.** ", Vitriol said, as Emilia felt disgusted by this fact, " **That is why we are here. Cooperate. And you just might survive. That is the deal.** ", changing the topic, " **Who exactly is Pack?** "

"Oh, him? He's just a spirit friend of mine back home. So don't hurt him, okay?"

" **I don't want to hurt anybody unlike the Mimics or anyone who poses a threat. But don't worry, Pack will still be okay.** "

"Alright, then...that's the deal, then.", settled Emilia, still reluctantly scared.

Meanwhile, Ferris had left the room and notices Emilia's from the front of the truck parked outside.

" **I know what you and William Cage are going through. You are in a time loop. But so you may know, I can turn back time too, whenever is necessary.** ", Vitriol instructed, " **You must not let anybody know of my existence, except Cage. Your androgynous boyfriend Ferris and Rita Vrataski can know more later.** "

Emilia questions, "But...how will I know they'll know?"

"Emmy?"

Emilia turns to see Felix approaching.

"What's going on?", he said as his neko ears twitched.

Vitriol had already disappeared from Emilia's side and had went back inside her body.

"Nothing. Again. Just thinking about this Omega and how we will improve our training.", smiled Emilia, "Just waiting for Cage and Rita to come. It's not that bad, isn't it?"


	12. Training

Cage and Emilia were back in the training center, the former donning the battle exosuit gear while Emilia prepares to use her Ice Magic.

The training bots activate, and circle around the two.

 _ **Follow what Rita says to do. Attack the bots!**_

"Okay!", Emilia told herself, as Cage attempts to shoot the training bots and Emilia using magical Ice Spikes. The bots were too fast however, as the two heroes were shooting around all over the place.

Soldiers in the background were startled by this, while Rita wasn't entertained and Ferris looking cautious.

As the two heroes continued training, they notice Cage's bullet cartridge was empty and notifies to reload.

"Reload, goddamn it!", Emilia said, the bullet cartridge falling from the exosuit and the suit automatically readies another cartridge for Cage, "Take it! I'll take care of-"

A training bot suddenly both of them to the ground!

 _ **Always watch your back, Emilia!**_

Rita, while Ferris watched, ran to the training bots and used her militarial sword to slash at them expertisely. As Cage and Emilia got up, they see Rita using her sword to send the bot back.

 _ **Dodge!**_

"Ok-", Emilia was about to do what Vitriol in her head, said.

But she and Cage were hit by the training bot Rita trained against.

While Emilia landed and rolled near where Ferris is (much to her boyfriend's worry), Cage landed and rolled back to the wall really hard.

 _ **That's gonna leave a mark.**_

As the training bot resets, Rita asked, "Are you alright, Cage? Emmy?"

"Yeah...I'm okay...", thumbs up Emilia, groaning.

Cage said on the other hand, "I think I've broke something.", to Rita.

"What?", the woman asks.

"My back. The only thing I can feel is...my lips.", the private said.

Emilia felt awful for him, "Oh no...you're paralyzed..."

"Now listen carefully, this is a very important rule...it's the only rule. You get injured on the field, you better make sure you die.", Rita said to Cage.

Cage asked, "...why?"

 _ **No need for that, you and I. I can take care of the time-travelling without you losing your life. Anytime, anywhere.**_

"My god...are you saying I won't die to turn back time? Because my friend told me before that he saw me die before _he_ died...and _he_ experienced events all over again...like I am right now?", Emilia said to Vitriol (in her head), Ferris questioned.

 _ **You won't die. I'll make sure of that.**_

"Last time I was in combat...I was hit. I was bleeding out. Just not fast enough. I woke up in a field hospital with three pints of someone else's blood and then I was out. I lost the power. Do you understand?", Rita told her story.

 _ **Aw...that's sad.**_

"Shut your mouth. When are you turning back time?", the half-elf asked again.

 _ **Yes. Right about...**_

Rita was about to pull her gun, saying, "Then you better start over, don't you?"

"Emmy?", Ferris asked when seeing Rita about to shoot Cage.

Cage asked her, "What?"

 _ **Now.**_

Rita aims her gun at Cage...

...and shoots.

* * *

"GAH!"

Emilia and Cage shook up awake on the duffel bags, eighth loop. Ferris, however was asleep beside them.

 _ **This is gonna be a long day...**_

Emilia (listening to Vitriol's voice in her head say this) and Cage look at the passing bus again with the vandalized advertisement _'Full Metal Bitch'_ , the last word being what they're looking at.

"Bitch...", Emilia muttered.

* * *

Sergeant Farrell spoke to Skinner later during P.T training (after Cage, Emilia and Ferris escaped from P.T once again in this loop), "No one knows what happened to Privates Cage and Emilia. Skinner, you dumbass. They were right next to you; you don't know where those slippery sons of bitches went?"

"No, Sarge.", Kimmel shouted as he did push-ups like the rest of the soldiers.

He replied, "Alright...let's do another 50, shall we?", as Kimmel groaned when doing push-ups, starting over.

* * *

"Wait, wait. My name is Bill Cage..."

"...and my name is Emilia, my girlfriend over there is Ferris.", she said when the two meet with Rita again, before she continued with Cage, "I- We met on the beach...we meet on the beach, tomorrow. We have what you had."

 _ **Yours was different, Emmy.**_

Emilia said to herself, "I understand, okay?"

* * *

The two trained again. Cage tries shooting at the training bots with his exosuit system while Emilia was using magical Ice Spikes.

 _ **Watch yourself.**_

One of the training Mimic bots proceeds to charge into them, sending them into mid-air and rolling back.

Ferris cringed while Rita was disappointed by this, the latter toggling the training bot system, "Alright, let's go again."

In the following few minutes, Cage and Emilia continues to train in their next attempt, but got hit again.

"You don't have time to think.", Rita lessoned to the two, "Remember, it's not enough knowing where they're going to be, you have to know how you kill them."

Their next training attempt, however, failed as the two were hit, sending them aback and hitting the ground hardly (Ferris felt worried for Emilia).

 _ **Another mark.**_

"You think...?", Emilia faintly said to herself (actually to Vitriol's voice inside her head), "Please tell me you're resetting this again."

 _ **In a moment.**_

The Angel of Verdun walks towards the injured Cage beside Emilia, the latter saying, "I just- Hold on, hold on. Listen, listen...", before he gave up, "Okay, do it."

Rita pulls the trigger and took the shot.

* * *

"Ah!"

Cage and Emilia woke up again beside the sleeping Ferris on the duffel bags, ninth loop.

The army sergeant kicked the bags and said, "On your feet, maggots!"

* * *

The two continue training for the third time, trying to hit the accelerated training bots circling around them.

When one of the training bots headed towards them, Cage and Emilia both successfully dodge it from hitting them again, the two respectfully using the exosuit weapons system and ice magic to hit the bots.

"Stop, wait-wait.", said Cage and Emilia, seeing everything going on around them during training, asking Rita to stop the exercise, "Wait a second...wait a second."

Ferris looks over to Rita as she turns off the training exercise, while Cage asked, "I've been thinking. I mean...this thing's in my blood...maybe if there's some way I can transfer it...to you?"

 _ **He can't.**_

"You got a better idea?", Emilia sarcastically said to Vitriol's voice in her head.

Rita answered for Cage, "I've tried everything, it doesn't work."

"Then have you...you know...tried all of them...all the options?", ensured Cage, Emilia and Ferris, hoping there would be a way to help the Angel of Verdun.

"Oh, you mean six? Yeah. Tried it."

"...how many times?"

"Alright.", ignored Rita as she resumes training for both Emilia and Cage, a training bot slamming into them.

The next moment when they were training with bullets and ice magic, they attempt to shoot the bots again like the previous times.

"Left! Left!", Rita warned the two while she and Ferris watched. Unbeknownst to the two heroes, a training bot was coming from behind them!

 _ **Move!**_

The training bot already hit them from behind, hurtling both Cage and Emilia fast towards the wall.

The two gasped in pain as Ferris covers her mouth with worry.

 _ **You're okay.**_

Rita however shrugs to this and said, "Keep your eyes open."

Cage and Emilia's next attempt became harder and harder by the minute. As they train more and more with the training bots, they would get thrown across the training room when they would get hit. Rita would say;

"Again."

The next time the two were hit, she'd say;

"Again."

If they were hit afterwards by the training bots, she'd still say;

"Again."

And so on.

 _ **Don't give up, Emmy.**_

After every hit, they struggle to get more strength for their training. Their attempts led to nothing but getting thrown around.

One time, they were hit by the training bot and landed on the ground, sliding around towards the safe zone where Rita and Ferris are.

 _ **Tough luck.**_

"Yeah. Rough.", the half-elf groans to herself as Ferris comes over to her, caringly.

"Just wait, wait! I think I'm okay.", Cage said as Rita cocks her gun.

She pulled the trigger and shot again.

* * *

Cage and Emilia gasped awake on the duffel bags. Tenth loop.

 _ **Looks like you're gonna have to get used to it, Emmy.**_

Every time the two would restart the loop, the same army sergeant would kick the duffel bags and say to them;

"On your feet, maggots!"

Eleventh loop.

"Maggots!"

Twelfth loop.

"Maggots!"

Thirteenth loop.

"I try to be nice to you maggots, now MOVE!", the army sergeant would yell at Cage, Emilia and Ferris at every loop.

Emilia was even starting to become angry and tired of the neverending routine she and Cage were facing.

* * *

Back at the training center after they were once again wounded by the training bot, Rita turns off the training exercise again and asked, "You okay, you two?"

Emilia and Cage replied, the former barely could stand up and the latter attempting to crawl due to their injuries, "Oh, yeah, yeah, we're good!"

"Your legs' broken.", Rita assumed to Emilia and Cage, starting to come over to Rita.

The half-elf said, "No, Rita. It's just my nerves not starting to kick in right.", still lying on the ground trying to get up.

 _ **Seriously?**_

Cage said on the other hand, "No, I- I can still feel my toes!", trying to crawl away, before Rita came over and stood in front of him with gun ready, "Oh, come on."

"When is this ever going to end...", Emilia saddened.

Rita aimed the gun at Cage, pulled the trigger and took the shot.

* * *

...

Darkness. Silence. Blackness.

That was all Emilia could see in the next moment after the time loop was resetting.

 _ **Emmy...**_

...

Emilia heard Vitriol's invisible voice echo in the void, who then said as he voice echoed;

 _Vit...Vitriol?_

 _ **Emmy.**_

 _W-w-what...? What's happening...?_

 ** _See for yourself._**

The next thing she sees was a vision. This time it was different. It was overlooking a dam in Germany. The vision flickered once, going closer to the dam.

 ** _Memorize this. You need to._**

Going inside the dam's infrastructure and deeper down into the dam itself in a series of flickers, Emilia asked, her voice echoing;

 _Where is it leading me to...?_

 _ **You and Cage will know where it is.**_

The vision was making its conclusion as we come closer to the centre of the dam, looking down at what appears to be the main system of the Mimics.

 _ **The Omega, Emmy...**_

...

* * *

Cage and Emilia shook awake again on the duffel bags beside the sleeping Ferris, eleventh loop.

The half-elf said to herself, "Was that...what I think it was?"

 _ **Yes. That was the vision.**_

Not only Emilia had the vision, but Cage had the same vision she experienced to.

The two thought about this, not that they finally have the key to the Omega's destination.


	13. Dispirited

**A/N: Although this chapter will be emotional, the end of the chapter will have a darker tone. From this point forward from this chapter, there will be more parts of the story where Vitriol is featured onscreen, and** **will also focus more on the relationship between Emilia and Vitriol.**

Once again in the eleventh loop, Cage, Emilia, Ferris, Rita and Carter went deep down to the weapons repairs room, the former two leading and removing the sheet covering the hologram technology and Dr. Carter said, "Rita? Rita, what is this, what are you doing here? Who are these guys?"

"He and the half-elf's me.", Rita said before she, Cage and Emilia finish, "Before Verdun."

The doctor welder asked, "What do you mean? They-"

"Yes."

"...when did they die? Where?"

"On the beach. Tomorrow."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Emilia and this is my boyfriend Ferris."

"And I'm Bill Cage, you're Dr. Carter, we've had this conversation before. Two fingers behind your back. We've had the visions. We've seen the Omega."

 _ **For the first time, Emmy.**_

Emilia said to Carter ignoring Vitriol's voice, "Yeah. The first time. It's pretty much game over tomorrow. So can we move this along?"

"Okay. Where?", Dr. Carter said to the two.

Both heroes answer, "There's a dam. It's in the mountains. We saw German writing..."

"Do you think you can work out where that is?", Rita told them.

Cage, Emilia and Ferris presumed, "We mean, there can't be...too many places that fit that description. We'll see what we can do."

"Training's over. We'll see you guys tomorrow.", Rita told the three, about to leave the room.

The three reply, "We don't even know where we're going."

"We will soon enough.", Rita ensured, "In the meantime, you guys need to figure out a way to get us off that beach."

 _ **Damn right, you will.**_

Emilia heard Vitriol's voice agreeing about the strategy they'll have to do coming up for tomorrow, and thinks about it with Cage and Ferris that moment.

Hopefully, just hopefully, they might get off.

* * *

It was, like always, again the day where the UDF invades the battlefield of France.

As Mimics on the opposite side of the field were firing countless energy blasts with some skirming across the sands and heliplanes and ships explode in mid-air, Cage, Emilia, Ferris and Rita were running across towards a wrecked airship for the next step of their strategy.

"Where next? Where are we going?", queried Rita and Ferris, "Which way? Focus."

Cage and Emilia said, "We're thinking, we're thinking."

 _ **Think fast, Emmy!**_

As Vitriol warned Emilia inside her head, all of a sudden a Mimic jumps through the shipwreck reaching towards them!

"OH MAN-", yelled Emilia and Cage.

* * *

Twelfth loop.

Cage, Emilia, Ferris and Rita were heading to where Carter is the day before the invasion.

"How far did we make it?", Rita and Ferris asked the two heroes.

Cage and Emilia hesitate, "You know, it's hard to say...really."

 _ **Not even close, Emmy.**_

* * *

The second try on the battlefield the next day.

They go down to a trench, as both Cage and Emilia halt to wait for their move across.

"Hold...hold...", waited the half-elf and the private for them to proceed, as they saw a Mimic pass by without noticing the four, "Okay, go!", they said as Ferris and Rita both moved ahead of Emilia and Cage.

But a Mimic comes out of nowhere and attacks both the Angel of Verdun and the half-elf's boyfriend!

Cage and Emilia exclaimed, "SON OF A BITCH!"

 _ **Too early, Emmy.**_

* * *

Inside the weapons repairs room, thirteenth loop.

Emilia and Cage were explaining their strategies to Ferris and Rita, "We thought stepping left, ducking...just for the record, it was pretty specific."

"Stepping left, ducking right. Stepping left, ducking right.", Ferris and Rita followed the strategy, "Move on."

* * *

Third try, battlefield of the invasion, the next day.

Cage and Emilia stepped in front of J Squad and Farrell as they respectively use the exosuit's weapon system and ice magic to attack the oncoming Mimic forces.

Ferris and Rita catch up with both the half-elf and the private as the two heroes ordered, "Hold on! Now remember, across the trench! 12:00, then look to your right!", their two friends running towards to the edge of the trench.

 _ **Nice work, Emmy!**_

Rita shoots at more oncoming Mimics with her exosuit's weapon system, but suddenly saw a Mimic about to attack both her and Ferris again!

* * *

The fourteenth loop. Weapons repairs room.

Ferris and Rita argue with Cage and Emilia, "You're not being specific. You need to be specific, otherwise we're dead."

"Rita. Ferris.", Cage and Emilia hesitate during the discussion.

* * *

Fourth try on the battlefield that next day.

The four were this time on a big trench, as both Ferris and Rita called out, "Cage! Emmy!", the two respectively using water magic and explosives at the Mimics attacking.

 _ **Help them!**_

But one Mimic proceeds to attack both Rita and Ferris.

* * *

Earlier in that fourteenth loop the day before, the four were strategizing in the same weapons room.

"...paces up to the top of that trench.", Rita instructed the other three, "Me and Ferris are gonna step left, a Mimic there which we'll kill..."

* * *

Back at the invasion battlefield in the fourteenth loop, both Cage and Emilia, after killing the Mimic that was attacking Rita and Ferris, saw their corpses laying near them.

No matter how many loops both Cage and Emilia go through, everything was excrutiating. They were spending the same pattern of events around them like if it's an eternity.

It was becoming nearly impossible for both to be able to get across the battlefield in order to reach their goal.

As the two reflect on this, a Mimic was about to attack the two of them.

* * *

In the fifteenth loop, Rita strategized to Cage, Emilia and Ferris in the weapons room, "...ship explosion, I'm gonna run 30 paces northwest. I'm gonna duck at the top of that trench and I'm gonna turn left."

And the next day during the invasion war in France, both Ferris and Rita would lay on the ground, dead.

All the two could do, other than killing Mimics, training, strategizing, and having to relive the events over and over again, was watch the two important people they ever cared for, die.

For Cage, the entire mission began to be more frustrating for both him and Emilia, ever since he was given the power to reset time and all. He didn't want to see the Angel of Verdun's death right in front of him.

As for Emilia, she loved Ferris more than anyone she ever had, other than her best friends Subaru, Ram and Rem, Beatrice, Crusch and her artifical spirit Pack back home. She couldn't even bear to watch the death of her beloved boyfriend endlessly, the pain in her good heart was growing more and more everytime they had to restart with all the sacrifices they had to struggle.

Emilia even wished to herself that the Mimic symbiote inside her body would vanish and that she would be back home with her boyfriend Ferris alive and well. In doing so made her cry tears coming down her eyes.

Cage and Emilia were almost on the brink of giving up.

* * *

Sixteenth loop, in the training room where Cage and Emilia are, looking at Rita and Ferris from the safe zone.

"I've got something on my face?", Rita questioned.

Ferris' neko ears twitched, "There something wrong, Emmy?", cutely.

Emilia couldn't even look at her that moment because of how sad she feels for her beloved. He was so precious, Emilia wanted to protect him at all costs, whatever it takes. But now for now.

"...no.", faintly said Cage and Emilia, as both Rita and Ferris felt saddened for both of them. The Angel of Verdun proceeds to turn off the training bot machinery again.

* * *

It was 9:00 in the evening, a rainstorm raining outside the base.

Cage and Emilia left the training center, despondent of what they keep experiencing in the eternal time loop. They are so close of giving up the routine.

 _ **Do not look back. Just walk away.**_

This moment was short-lived.

"Cage! Emilia!"

The two heard two of the J Squad members, Skinner and Kimmel, noticing them.

"We've been looking everywhere for you two!", Skinner called out, catching up with Cage and Emilia, who they ignore them coming closer, "Cage! Emmy!", the two J Squad members jogging towards them.

Emilia growled, "Not now."

 _ **Who the hell are these guys?**_

"Guys, we've been looking-", said Skinner as he catched up with them, knocking Emilia on the rain-flooded ground and tackling Cage.

Cage said, "Guys. Guys, can we just...not do this today."

"You're really getting on my nerves, don't you know that? Skinner? Kimmel?", aggravated Emilia under her breath, getting up beside Cage.

Skinner angrily said, "What are you two talking about? Farrell almost strung us up by our **bollocks** by losing track of you!"

"Try me.", darkly said Emilia.

Skinner then was about to punch Cage and Emilia, but the two dodge and the J Squad member misses.

"Okay, Skinner. Watch this.", Cage said as Emilia stepped aside, the private putting his arms behind his back, "Now I'm gonna close my eyes.", as he closed his eyes, "Ready?"

Skinner nods, and then attempts to punch Cage, who steps aside and he misses again. He tries punching him but Cage steps aside again, his fist hitting the Rita Vrataski advertisement.

Emilia then ran behind Skinner and pushes him towards the wall with the advertisement placed, hurting his head and pinning him to the ground.

"Why won't you just leave the two of us alone? Because we're not in a good mood.", Emilia upsets, as she and Cage (who opens his eyes after the fist fight) then look at Kimmel.

Kimmel apologizes and excused, "I didn't mind the extra push-ups.", as Cage and Emilia start to walk away from the two, while Kimmel helps his fellow J Squad member Skinner back up.

"You're strong...for a insignificant weakling.", Skinner venomously said to Emilia.

The half-elf, walking away, slows down as she stops while Cage stopped in his tracks as he was ahead of her.

"You think you're special, you bitch?", the J Squad member feuded at the half-elf.

She warned him, disheartened, "Don't...you...dare...say it."

"Why? Because you're nothing but the girl who lost everything."

"Don't make me warn you again.", Emilia said, putting her hands on her head sides and crouching down.

 _ **What are you doing?**_

"I'm uh... I'm doing my exercise?", says the half-elf to herself.

 _ **You are being so bad at this.**_

Vitriol says this as he forces Emilia to get back up with her hands back intact to normal.

"No...I...am...NOT!", Emilia conflicted with herself, putting her hands back on the sides of her head and crouching back down; but Vitriol keeps making Emilia get back up while the girl objects by crouching back down with her hands on her head again and again.

 _ **Yes, you are.**_

"No, I'm not-"

 _ **Yes, you are!**_

"No, I'm not-"

 _ **Why would you do that?**_

Emilia sweated intensely as she was crouching down with her hands on the sides of her head, "Because it's a very exercisable thing to do...?"

"Emmy?", Skinner asked insultingly, "What's the matter, you little shit?"

 _ **We'll take care of this ourselves.**_

The half-elf warned the J Squad member one last time, "Go! Just get out of here, while you still can!"

Skinner was filled with rage as he was about to strike a blow to Emilia, "Then fight me, you son of a bitch!"

 _ **Enough.**_

Dark symbiotic midnight-bluish-black mass suddenly appeared from Emilia's back onto Skinner's balled fist, the half-elf princess stood up.

"I told you to go. _**But you didn't listen.**_ ", Emilia ominously said in sync with Vitriol's voice.

Cage sees what was happening and kept his cool, having remembered what Emilia did when Vitriol was introduced for the first time in one of the past time loops they had in the battlefield.

Skinner's expression turned from anger to a lingering spike of fear. The symbioic mass was starting to spread from his hand downward to his arm, the pressure on it increasing more and more painful for Skinner.

Emilia's purple-blue eyes close. Skinner try to get the symbiotic mass off his skin but to no avail. Kimmel was getting scared the heck out. He could do nothing but watch what Emilia would do to him next.

Then the half-elf's eyes open again, once again with a glowing blue while she sports a dark threatening expression.

The pressure on Skinner's arm by the strengthening symbiotic mass made him gasp in pain.

"No...no...please.", begged Skinner under his voice, "Make it stop...", but Emilia stayed silent as she unexpressively watches him experience growing pains, "...please..."

His arm suddenly snapped, breaking into two. Skinner screamed from the excrutiating pain.

Emilia then felt unexpressive sadism from this. Dark midnight-bluish-black mass then erupted slowly out of Emilia's skin and clothes, starting to cover every part of her body.

In a few moments, Emilia had fully transformed and switched forms with the Mimic symbiote Vitriol.

" **Now...who's the bitch?** ", injuriously said Vitriol monstrously to Skinner, grabbing the J Squad member's arm and shattering it some more by moving it downward, making Skinner scream some more.

Skinner tried to fight back by trying to punch or strike the symbiote with multiple blows, but Vitriol wasn't even reacting to any pain from his attacks.

Instead, his arm was absorbed by Vitriol's skin, making him unable to attack without his arms.

" **Weakling!** ", roared Vitriol sadistically, as Skinner looked at the symbiote and screams.

Vitriol then opens his symbiotic mouth wide and leans down to Skinner...

And both the calm Cage and scared Kimmel witness Vitriol dealt with Skinner, eating him whole. There was hardly any blood as his corpse was being dissolved inside Vitriol's body.

The Mimic symbiote then turns to the frightened Kimmel, about to run off back to his base. Vitriol then stomps towards Kimmel and stops right in front of him.

" **You're not going anywhere!** ", confrontationally told Vitriol to the other J Squad member, slamming his hand onto his shoulder.

Kimmel begged, "No! Please, I didn't do anything wrong! It wasn't me!", but was interrupted when Vitriol grabs him by the throat.

The Mimic symbiote sinisterly opens his mouth slowly with his long tongue in a gross-inducing manner, about to kill the choking victim (with intense tension-building music heard).

But Vitriol hesitated for the kill.

Inside Vitriol's symbiotic mass, Emilia had a moment of realization.

They're acting like the true monsters of the conflict. Out of control.

They were even doing this in front of Cage, who looked desperate at Emilia/Vitriol holding Kimmel by the throat.

Emilia had the urge to communicate to Vitriol from inside his liquid body;

 _Vitriol...? Stop._

" **Why should I? I told you before, anyone who poses a threat, I kill. These two posed a** **threat!** "

 _It was Skinner's fault. Kimmel here is the innocent one here, he was here because of him._

" **That doesn't make him fully innocent. He was one of the J Squad members who neglected us!** "

 _Let him go._

" **Just-** "

 _Now! For the greater good!_

" **I am not the one who's following orders! We do it equally!** "

 _How? Why is that?_

" **I understand you're experiencing things harder than it usually has to be! I want to keep you safe!** "

 _That's not what-_

" **And I don't want you to be a coward, or you could find yourself experiencing death forever!** "

Emilia found herself speechless by Vitriol's remark, the two having a moment together.

Vitriol looks at the scared Kimmel begging for his life, and then looking at Cage ahead of them, faintly feeling a sense of heart.

 _Look at us. We're becoming monsters. We're about to become a danger in society if you keep killing people like him. Lives matter in this world...and maybe, yours should too._

The symbiote thought about this. He made a promise to Emilia that he would kill the Mimics AND anyone who poses a threat. But thanks to her, she helps him realize that there are some strangers that should more likely be spared greatly. Vitriol then sighs and makes a decision.

He then lowers Kimmel back on his feet before he could lose his life getting choked to death.

 _That's it. Good._

" **Fine. Y** **ou're free to go.** ", Vitriol spoke to Kimmel who was gasping for breath, touching his shoulder, " **But on one condition. You must not tell us about my existence or about what you saw with your obnoxious friend Skinner. You are going to report, that Skinner would most likely get run over by a truck in rainy weather and was eaten by a flock of birds. But if you say a word to anyone about this incidence, you will either be most likely be sent to a psych ward...or a painful dissection. So good night and good luck to you, farewell to me.** ", smiling as he lets go of Kimmel's shoulders, walking off to catch up with Cage.

 _I don't think that ward and dissection part was necessary. It was a likely story you came up with, though._

" **Honestly, Rita gave me that idea. Now let's go around London, shall we?** ", simply says Vitriol to Emilia inside him, as Kimmel then ran off on his way back to the J Squad.

As Cage and Vitriol walk off into the rain, the symbiote's form dissipates and transforms back into Emilia's normal self, her silhouette showing her putting on her white neko-like purple-eared hoodie...


	14. Predicament

**A/N: Not only the end of the last chapter began a spark of a friendship between Emilia and Vitriol, this chapter is centered more on the strengthening relationship between the two. Another upcoming entry in The Ancient Multiverse of Mystic Characters, clled Emblem-Girl: Into the Fire-Verse (that features Fire Emblem characters), will make a connection in this chapter.**

11:30 PM.

The rain had went away by the time they got there. Cage and Emilia had booked a room for the night in a London hotel, and Emilia was exploring the outskirts of London Bridge and Westminister Abbey, walking across towards Big Ben donning her casual hoodie, on the sidewalks.

 _ **London here is so beautiful. Why were you thinking of spending the night here?**_

"Because I'm tired of going through the same routine everyday, after what we've been through. I've stayed in a shitty room that was originally solitary confinement, me and Cage forced to hang out with those jackass squad members, had our asses being pushed around, watched my boyfriend and the famous Angel of Verdun die in front of us in several loops, and you've just ate someone alive!", tired Emilia to Vitriol's voice in her head.

 _ **First of all about eating that hostile, it was protection. And second, I was hungry.**_

Emilia argued to herself, "No, you weren't. You obviously do that whenever trouble comes around."

 _ **No, I don't. I was hungry to the part of starving to death.**_

"When you're hungry, you would say things like, 'Food' or 'Hungry' or 'Starving'!"

 _ **I never said that earlier. And I admit, I did say that many loops ago.**_

"Then why were you saying that when me and Ferris went to that restaurant for lunch the other loop?"

 _ **Because...it's a craving.**_

"Craving? For what?"

 _ **Mimics. And occasionally humans.**_

"Humans? Are you saying that you're going to eat people...like me?"

 _ **No! You are starting to become too precious to resist killing you, and your other friends too. ONLY to those who are a threat.**_

"But what if the military are after us if your cover is blown?"

 _ **Psych ward. Experimentation. Dissection. And many others that are far worse.**_

"Oh...", Emilia staggered, "Now I really don't wanna die."

 _ **That is why we must be careful.**_

The half-elf sighed, "This is getting way stressful.", stopping by the Big Ben tower between the streets of London and Westminister Abbey, "If only there's someplace with a greater view where we must reflect on what comes later on."

 _ **You want up?**_

Hearing Vitriol's request in her head, Emilia then turns around to see the Big Ben tower, looking up at the London landmark.

 _ **Why didn't you just say?**_

The Lugnican girl removes her hood, who then gets an idea...

* * *

It was almost midnight.

Emilia had transformed back into Vitriol's symbiotic liquid form, who was quickly climbing up the symbolic London tower with extreme agility, grabbing the architecture and climbing higher with every push up.

Vitriol then reaches the top of the Big Ben tower, slamming onto the top of the tower, knocking off the top structure of the tower, as he settled and watches the beautiful view of the city of London.

" **Hmm...it is peaceful up here.** ", Vitriol thought, supposedly.

 _I'm not...very good with heights, Vitriol..._

" **Your world is not so ugly after all... Looks like it's definitely worth fighting for. The Mimics are wrong. Earth should not and will never be theirs. We must protect it.** ", explained Vitriol to Emilia's voice inside his symbiotic body.

 _I am not from this world, Vitriol. I'm from the Kingdom of Lugnica. But...will you help us save this world? For the love of my life, Felix Argyle? For Cage? For Rita? For all of us?_

" **I will... I always will, Emilia. I will hold onto you for as long as I may...even if it's the edge of tomorrow...** ", remarked Vitriol to the melancholic Emilia inside him.

Silence happens after he said this, as they heard the ambience of the busy international city.

 _Okay, was that a romantic indication or-_

" **No, I am NOT in love with yo-** ", disagreeingly said Vitriol to Emilia's wonderment.

 **RING! RING! RING-RING...!**

The bells of Big Ben were ringing loudly in chimes, as the clock had already struck midnight.

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!** ", Vitriol painfully screamed, his liquid form pulsating from the loud frequency of the bells.

 **RING! RING! RING-RING!**

Vitriol then suddenly sinks back inside Emilia's body, Emilia returning to her normal state!

" **AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!** ", screamed Emilia in pain from the loudness, covering her ears.

She then suddenly slips on the top of the tower, causing her to roll down Big Ben!

She continues rolling down, injuring her thigh by one of the tower's infrastructure, and then slides down the top part of the tower after falling a bit from the highest part of the tower!

"AAAAAAAH! Why did you go, Vitriol?! Where did you go!?", Emilia exclaimed, as she slides off the other top part of the tower, "Save me! **SAVE ME!** ", falling down the tower!

As Emilia falls down the tower (passing the clock), she screams in horror and fear as if it seemed like she was about to fall to her death and restart the time loop again, reaching towards the ground faster every second, closing her eyes as she braces for impact...

...but she stops falling at the last second.

The half-elf slowly opens her eyes, seeing that she is only ten inches from the ground. Emilia then looks up to see that one of her arms was covered in Vitriol's liquid symbiotic skin, clutching onto the tower's infrastructure.

 _ **I got us.**_

Emilia's frown turned into a smile, "You...saved me... Last time someone saved me, it was Ferris or Subaru."

 _ **Oh. He did, did he? Also, take note. I hate the sound of bells up too close. Far volume of bells are okay. Other loud sounds including alarms, fire alarms and car alarms are lethal. Eve of the hour is no longer acceptable.**_

"That's...your weakness?", Emilia curiously said, "I'll remember that. I'll be careful next time."

 _ **We'll. We'll be careful. Or there won't be a next time.**_

"Whatever you say.", she then said to Vitriol in her head, who then gets back on her feet when falling only 10 inches to the ground when letting go.

She then felt a slight pain on her right leg, clenching her teeth from the pain. She then removes her boot to see that her right leg was leaking a moderate amount of blood with a big gash. There was nothing wrong with her foot either.

"Oh no...my leg's bleeding!", the half-elf panics.

 _ **Don't panic. It's just a scratch from when you were rolling down the tower.**_

Emilia screamed, "A scratch?! It's more like a wound!", before saying when she covers her leg again and she looked at her hands, "I'll just use my healing magic to take care of it...", until she heard something liquifying on her leg.

The half-elf then slowly looks down at her leg, who then removes her boot again to check her right leg, and in surprise, the blood was gone. No gash.

"It's...not bleeding anymore. My leg, the gash...", wondered Emilia.

 _ **I took care of it.**_

"What do you mean, Vitriol?"

 _ **I can heal you. Any minor injury, like cuts, bruises, scratches and scrapes, I can heal you.**_

"What? You saying that you can heal me, even though I have healing magic? Why didn't you let me heal it myself?"

 _ **Because I'm starting to like you.**_

"Whatever.", Emilia scoffed, walking back on the sidewalks on the way back to the hotel, "I hope my dear boyfriend is okay..."

* * *

The next morning, in Heathrow Base, Sergeant Farrell called out to J Squad and Ferris, "It's a new day, people. Destiny calls. The world expects one thing from us...that we will win."

Ferris, however, felt sad and concerned that his girlfriend was missing.

"I wish Emmy was here. I hope my girlfriend's okay...", as she watched the other soldiers suit up for war.

* * *

Cage and Emilia had already left the hotel and were both driving motorcycles to go to the pub later that day.

When they've already entered the bar, with Cage having beer and Emilia having some water with ice cubes, they listened to the TV broadcast heard and seen about the ensuing war.

" _...current situation on the front line. Our troops have suffered heavy casualties..._ ", the newscaster said.

The people in the bar also go about their business as Cage and Emilia listen;

"It's about time we showed those things what we're made of. My father flew in the Battle of Britain. Three years before the Yanks came into the war. Couldn't be broken. Backbone."

"My Uncle George landed on the beach at Normandy."

"Yeah?"

"In their day, this war would've been over by now."

"What do they want with us, anyway?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? Minerals."

"Minerals?"

"Yeah, minerals. Metals."

"Oxygen, they want."

"Oxygen?"

"Think about it-"

Cage and Emilia suddenly said, "What difference does it make?", despondently adding, "They're here. They're winning. And whatever it is, they're gonna get it."

"Shouldn't you two be over there?", asked one of the people in the bar, recognizing the two from the military base.

The two heroes stated, "We've been over there. More times than anybody. As a matter of fact, we're usually long dead by now.", Emilia laying her head down in depression and defeat.

"Cowards.", mocked the bartender.

Emilia ignores this, saying, "I lost everything. My freedom, my home, my friends. Just living forever through a time loop, nothing but the virus in my body and my Ice Magic."

 _ **Emmy. Look.**_

She rose her head to see the news, as the newscaster was saying;

" _In other news here in America, astronaut Frank Goldwing, his son Mike, the first woman on the Moon Amy Gonzalez, and a group of brave women have planted the flag back on the Moon and had returned to Earth after their mission on the Moon. Reports have shown..._ "

Emilia asked, "Who are they, Vitriol...? You know them?"

 _ **I haven't met them, but I assume those people with those three are from medieval lands in another dimension. Lucina, Corrin, Robin, Hinoka, Soleil, Maribelle, Azura. Hmm. Those seem like cute names. Not intimidating, either. They're warriors after all.**_

Emilia looked closely at the seven female warriors pictured in the news (which would later foreshadow the events of Emblem-Girl: Into the Fire-Verse), reflecting on what's to come in the future if they would ever cross paths. Although this news headline must be coming from an alternate universe.

 _ **I bet they're doing a pretty great job being heroes and all. I'm almost sorry to see their end.**_

"What does that mean?", suspiciously questioned Emilia.

The power turns off, shutting down the TV and lights.

"What's going on?", asked a man in the bar.

Another said, "The power's gone out."

"Something happening?", Emilia asked herself.

 ** _Something's wrong._**

Her questioned expression then turns to concern, as she and Cage then both decided to come out of the bar.

Outside, sirens were wailing. People were walking off from one place to another.

 _ **We must go. Now!**_

A few minutes later, Cage and Emilia ran across to the bridge, where people were running across the street in panic.

The two then stop to see the landscape of London, stopping at the middle to see the city in chaos, flames and smoke.

The Mimics were invading London.

"Uh, Vitriol?", said Emilia in a state of shock.

Many Mimics were swimming across the river underwater, heading towards the bridge Cage and Emilia are on!

Emilia feared, "...Vitriol?!"

 _ **Restart, Emmy! Restart now!**_

As Cage and Emilia see the river, they looked down as a Mimic sprung out of the water and screeches, lunging towards them!

* * *

In a match cut, someone punches a Mimic training bot strongly across the training room. It was the seventeenth loop.

As the camera shot slowly circled around the subject with suspenseful music playing, it reveals the person who is training against the training bots in the routine alongside Cage.

It was Vitriol, who Emilia had transformed into.

He lets out a frightening roar, preparing to attack the training bots in the routine.

Meanwhile in the same training building, both Rita and Ferris came, in search of Cage and Emilia.

"Emmy? Where are you? You haven't seen me since after you did your training!", called out Felix, searching for his girlfriend.

The two then saw Cage training by shooting bullets against the training bot, while they saw another in the shadows fighting another several training bots.

Back in the training room, Vitriol rams into one of the bots and throws it across towards the wall. He then somersaulted out of sight and punched another training bot away.

The same training bot comes back to try ramming back at Vitriol, but he grabs one of the Mimic bot's limbs and threw it at the bot, sending it towards the wall.

Vitriol then leaps up to the ceiling infrastructure and sees one of the training bot mechanisms coming toward him, as he grabs the upper part of the machine and tears it apart, deactivating the bot.

Cage, in the meantime, pins the training bot coming at him, knocking it down with many punches.

The Mimic symbiote roars again as he leaped back down to the training floor with Cage attacking the other training bot, using the broken bot to swing it around, hitting almost all the training bots and knocking them off, deactivating most of them and throwing away the broken bot, nailing it to the ceiling like a dart.

One of the training bots Vitriol fought then hits Cage, shooting it, while another Vitriol fought comes at him too, Cage sliding across with his exosuit gear and shooting it's limbs off, charging and pinning it down.

As the last remaining training bot hit him to no avail, Vitriol then grabs it by the limbs and destroys the bot, throwing it away and letting out another ferocious roar, the suspenseful music reaching a scary crescendo.

Rita and Ferris, outside in the safe zone, comes closer slowly to what's happening in the routine, tries to find out what Cage and Emilia are doing.

With Cage, he pinned the training bot coming at him, knocking it down with many punches.

Vitriol, on the other hand, comes over to the remaining active training bot on the ground. He then grabs it by the top, snaps the upper half (power source) off the bot and held it up high, opening his mouth wide to prepare devouring the bot.

 _NO! You do NOT eat training bots!_

As Emilia warned this to Vitriol inside his body, Rita and Ferris see this, and the latter felt frightened and extremely scared by the symbiote preparing to devour the bot.

" **AAAAAAHHH!** ", Ferris screamed in horror, catching Vitriol and Cage's attention. His neko ears falter as he let out gasps of fear as the Mimic symbiote looks back at him maliciously, letting go of the broken training bot he was planning to eat.

While Cage and Rita look at each other, Ferris sees Vitriol starting to transform back, Emilia's head being the first for Vitriol to sink back in her body, quickly shifting back to normal.

"FELIX! Felix, wait!", Emilia tried to say something to Ferris as he ran to catch up with her androgynous boyfriend, running away from her in fright.

Ferris stopped as Emilia turned back to normal entirely with Vitriol reverting back inside, "What the HELL was that?!", scared.

"That wasn't me! I've been infected!", revealed Emilia.

The neko knight was terrified, "What- What's happening?"

"He's inside me! Yes, I know- I know it sounds crazy, but...", the half-elf worried.

He asked his girlfriend, "Are you sick? I mean, are...are you really sick?", caringly whilst still afraid.

"No, I am _scared_!", confessed Emilia, "I am scared of losing you! If I would've known something bad was going to happen, the promise I made to you was to protect you, because we protect each other. Now, I just found out the Mimics will come kill our asses if we don't do something to stop it! But we need help. I know Rita and her friend can tell you the whole story, just trust me."

Ferris started to calm down, as she takes Emilia's hand, by saying, "I trust you."


End file.
